Unification
by Auroriaz
Summary: Kyo is a what you might call a "player". He hangs around with the same people, doing the same things (which will go unnamed). He appears to have it all from the distance...Which was fine for a while. Longing to break free of his lifestyle and bad choices, will he find true friendship (and possibly more) in the new Vocaloid from Sweden with the golden blond locks and ruby-like eyes?
1. Chapter 1

**Another impulse fic where I write on autopilot and where grammar and spelling is more important to me than whether or not someone can READ my work. I tried to fix the formating here, but I guess jumbled up words are a format I'm used to? *shrugs***

**Anyways, another completely unheard of pairing. I may possibly be the only person on this site who has gotten into this one. Last I checked, these two have sung only one song on Youtube and the only thing I found on Nico Nico was a group song with 3? vocaloids and one utau. Well, anyways, this was a long chapter, so I broke the second half of it into another one. I may have to edit this story a few times. There are just so few ZOLA project fics, aren't there?**

**Well, regardless, I hope anyone who is interested in reading this can. I haven't seen many obscure (I overuse this word, don't I?) pairing fics in this fandom posted for a while (except plot ideas on the roleplaying boards, which I am not a part of, but merely an observer/stalker). I want to bring some life back into this account.**

Unification

Kyo leaned against the faded brick walls of his high school, and let out a restless sigh. He was already 5 minutes late to his class, as he always was, but it didn't matter. He was skipping this one out again like he always did. It wasn't as though he didn't study or perform well; though he had been told that there was "room for improvement". He wasn't a smoker or anything. He stayed out of trouble for the most part. Academic classes just bored him; he didn't see why there was a need for some of the classes required at Vocaloid high anyways, seeing as it was a singing school primarily. Let's see...it took a lot for an "outsider" to get in, who wasn't a Vocaloid, Utau or an official derivative of an already existing Vocaloid. Though he didn't have any himself, as he wasn't popular enough. Along with his best friend Wil, and his younger brother Yuu, they were some of the most under-rated Vocaloids in existance.

But perhaps that could be attributed to the fact that they had only been "out" for less than a year. One thing that was for certain was his reputation. He was pretty notorious around Vocaloid high.  
He had developed a rep for being a drifter in relationships; a "player" if you will, since he had been known to be in as many as 10 different relationships a month (sometimes at once, though that was uncommon). He didn't limit himself to just females either...it was common knowledge that he and Wil once had a thing in the past after all. But they were better off as friends (seeing as they couldn't limit themselves to each other anyways; plus, living under the same roof didn't help things either) in the end. WIl had actually moved on, and was evidently dating the rumored tsundere Merli for the moment. But as for Kyo, he found that he was running out of people who "played around" the way he did. He wasn't a heartbreaker, mind you. He would on occasion, take interest in people who had no interest in him, and playfully flirt with different people. But he only went out with people who weren't looking for commitment or a serious relationship. That way, when they split, there were no hard feelings. Therefore, he was limited at his school. He could look elsewhere if he cared to, but...

Nah. He wasn't that desperate.

The truth was, he was getting kind of bored of his "popular guy" lifestyle, and the people he hung out with. He definitely wasn't typical, and the typical lifestyle didn't really suit him. But it often felt like a trap, and he found it harder and harder to avoid the people he knew (skipping was only a temporary solution that would get him back eventually). He felt awkward at the idea of ever being in a serious relationship (he doubted anyone would take him seriously about such matters anyways), and wasn't sure he could do it.

Just then, a car drove up to the front gates of the school, a black limo. Kyo perked up hearing this. No, he wasn't desperate, but...  
A door opened and the driver got out to open another door. Kyo immediately jumped behind the side of the school, where he would be out of sight.  
He knew it didn't matter who it was, but he had heard that a new Vocaloid was coming to the school, and being a nosy sort, he wanted to be the first to see who it was. Thoughts began running through his mind. Another girl? Most likely. Master sured liked the girls. Not that there was anything wrong with that right?  
But...there was a chance it could be another male, though he highly doubted it, since he, Wil, and Yuu had been "released" in the summer of 13'.

Well, regardless...

"Are we here already?" He heard a voice gently ask (he had to strain his ears to hear it, it being so soft), it sounded like a male, but who knows?  
"Yes Mr Loid, we are." The driver replied, opening the side door slowly, and stepping back. Ah ha...so it WAS another male after all! Huh..."Loid". What kind of a last name was that? Wonder where he was from?  
'Well now, let's see what this one looks like.' Kyo thought, trying to act aloof and nonchalant (despite the fact that he was actually really curious).  
He poked his head slightly around the corner to see the figure who was stepping out of the car at that moment...  
If Kyo could think of one word to describe the newbie...well...he couldn't think of one. He wasn't very good in English after all. Wil always did more reading that he ever did, though he didn't look like the bookworm type. The only word that kept running through his head was just...  
'Wow.'

Another one was 'My god.'

The figure was a slender and lean blond, who wore skinny jeans that were fitted to his long legs, and a silky smoky gray shirt that clung to his body. His shoulder-length hair glowed golden in the sunlight, almost blinding Kyo in the process. But then again, who told him to look?  
But he couldn't help it. He'd never seen one like this guy before.  
The male tucked some books nervously under an arm, and began to walk away from the car. Hearing this, Kyo glanced up again.  
Refocusing his attention on the other male, he took in the more subtle details (which was rare for him to do), such as the fact that he was wearing various pieces of metal jewelry that sparkled in the sunlight. He almost looked as though he was wearing a bit of make-up too (not that there was anything wrong with that of course), though he sure didn't need it in Kyo's opinion. His long grayish-silver coat trailed behind him as he walked. The way his long (almost chest length some pieces were) locks flowed and his gemstone-like red eyes shown...his skin looked soft and smooth...like...porcelain? He was absolutely mesmerising.

Like angelic or something.

Huh. THAT was a new one.

'Where did that come from?' Kyo wondered absent-mindedly, taking a step forward.

Unfortunately that proved to be a stupid move. He was flung forward, and crashed into the bushes surrounding the building.  
Now that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the other male had witnessed this rather clumsy display.  
'Why did I HAVE to make a stupid move like that? If I hadn't made any noise, he wouldn't have known. Baka!' He scolded himself mentally, pulling himself up quickly, leaning one hand against the school building. He turned his gaze up to meet the other's curious gaze.

To his surprise (and hesitantly, his delight as well), the other male was smiling at him, though he didn't walk over to him.  
'Why's he smiling for?'  
'Oh shut up, and do something that's not stupid for once!' His brain ordered.  
Composing himself, he smiled back nervously, running a hand through his medium-length brown locks.  
"...Are you ok?" The blond asked, tilting his head to the side a little.  
"Oh...yeah. That was nothing. I'm fine." He replied quickly, waving a hand dismissively.  
"Hmmm...you must have been deep in thought." The blond boy added, shifting his feet slightly.  
"H-huh? What makes you say that?" Kyo blurted out in shock. The other male giggled a little in response.  
"Why is that so shocking? You looked like you were lost in your thoughts. Weren't you?" He asked, turning his gaze away towards the ground.  
"Oh...n-nothing! I'm j-just not used to hearing that, that's all." Kyo stammered slightly, feeling his face heat up.

They were both silent for a minute.  
"Uh...so...you're the new Vocaloid then?" The brunet asked after a seemingly long silence.  
"Yes, indeed." The blond replied with a small smile.  
"Hey...what kind of an accent is that? Scandinavian or something?"  
"Yeah...Swedish actually."  
"Ah! I was wondering what that cute accent was-" Kyo paused mid-sentence realizing what he had said.  
'Oh what was that? You can't be coming onto him now! You're going to scare him off...he probably doesn't even swing that way!' The voice in his head lectured.  
He was brought back to the present by a pale hand waving in front of him.  
"Huh, wha? Er...sorry about that...um...slip of the tongue, you know?" He shrugged it off.  
"Oh...I see. That's ok." The blond replied, a hint of bitterness accenting his tone. But Kyo was often too dense to pick up on subtle details.  
"Yeah...I don't always think before speaking...it's like my brain and I are two separate people!" Kyo laughed slightly, shaking his head at himself.

The blond laughed a little lightly, clutching his books tighter.  
"What's your name?" He questioned, turning his gaze up to the tall brunet's.  
"Huh?"  
"Your name silly." The blond teased a little, smiling sweetly.  
"Oh right. Um...name's Kyo. And yours is?"  
"Um, well...you seem nice so...promise not to laugh?"

It was Kyo's turn to tilt his head in question. "Er, ok, sure. But why? I'm sure it's not THAT bad."  
"Well...maybe not quite so BAD is all...but just...weird. I don't know, uncommon I guess. I mean, seeing as this is Japan and all."  
"All right...I see...I promise then."  
"Ok...it's Yohio." The blond said, finally answering.  
"H-huh? That's not a weird name at all! You had me hanging there...I was expecting something REALLY weird-ah, ok. I'll be quiet now." He finished hastily.  
"Uh, that's ok. If you mean it."  
"Sure, sure. I mean you know...I'm not that kind of person." Kyo said slightly sheepish, running his hand through his light brown locks once more.  
"No, I didn't think so. But then, it's hard to tell who you can trust nowadays right?"  
"Er...yeah, yeah. Right about that."

Once more, there was a slightly awkward (but why?) break in the conversation.  
"...O-oh! Um...c-could you tell me where my first class is? I almost forgot...but...um...I guess I got distracted." Yohio asked with a shy smile.  
"Oh...yeah, sure. Sorry I kept you...a-ah...y-you know w-w-what I mean." Kyo stuttered in embarassment.  
"Yeah...I do. Um...here's the map they gave me. But I can't seem to figure this out." Yohio added, pushing the paper towards Kyo to interpret.  
'How am my supposed to figure this out? I have so few classes to go to...or rather, the ones I CHOOSE to go to.'  
'Shut up and do it. Look smart in front of him, not like the uneducated dolt you are!' There was that voice again. If he tried to explain that to anyone, they'd think he had lost his mind. Assuming he had one to begin with.  
"Sorry, sorry." He apologized, realizing he had left the other boy hanging.

He took the map in his hands, and carefully examined it.  
"Er, what class are you in again?"  
"Sorry, forgot. I guess you're not the only one spacing out here." Yohio joked, blushing a little. Kyo felt his heart speed up seeing this.  
"But anyways, it's this one." The Swed continued, pointing to a number on the map.  
"Can I see your schedule sheet as well?" Kyo requested. The blond complied and handed him another sheet. He glanced at this as well.  
"It's funny, I've got the number memorized, the time I'm supposed to be there, and the teacher's name even! But, I can't find my way there."  
"Well, this place is new to you. That's understandable." Kyo found himself stalling. Probably because the class the blond was supposed to be in was the one he was now skipping out on. It was English, one of his least favorite classes (Wil on the other hand loved it, and his marks reflected that). What a coincidence...  
Ironic even. What was really ironic was that they shared quite a few classes together. In fact, they shared 6 out of the 10 classes that Kyo had to take, just like everyone else. Perhaps that could get him to actually go to some of them...some of his teachers barely knew him!

But for the moment, he was making the boy late, which wouldn't look good on his first day. He had no choice, but to comply and lead him there.

He sighed heavily.  
"What's wrong?" The Swedish boy's soft voice broke into his thoughts.  
"Hm? What do you mean?" The brunet asked, pulling himself out of his current state.  
"You were spaced out again. Something must have crossed your mind again. Maybe the same thing keeps bothering you?"  
"No...it's nothing and everything. It doesn't matter. What matters now is getting you to class. I've made you a few minutes late, haven't I?"  
"Yeah...wait. Where are YOU supposed to be?" He HAD to ask...The brunet hurriedly made up something in his head.  
"Oh, I, uh...I have a free block now." Kyo lied. He wasn't a good enough student to earn one of those, but...well, if he pressed anymore, he could just say his books were in his locker (they actually were, but he had no idea WHERE in there they were, why would he need them since he rarely went nowadays?)...  
"Really? I guess your grades are fairly high, huh?" Yohio said, taking a few steps towards the school's intimidating doors.  
"Y-yeah, you could say that." Kyo replied quickly, keeping up with him in pace.  
Yohio stopped mid-pace, and turned to the tall brunet. "You know...you're a mysterious one, you know that?"  
Once again, Kyo was taken aback. "Oh...r-really? W-what makes you say that?"  
"Oh...I don't know. Your whole aura I guess. It's not a bad thing, you know. I didn't mean it like that."  
"Huh..."

They walked in semi-awkward silence, Kyo leading him towards the very class he was avoiding. For some reason, though he had met him only minutes before, he was starting to like him, and felt guilty for flat-out lying to him immediately.  
He occasionally glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye. He was looking down at his feet as they walked, he might have smacked into someone had there been anyone else in the halls. Speaking of which...here comes someone now.

Unfortunately, it was someone Kyo happened to know. In fact, someone he had been avoiding.  
"Kyo...who've you been hanging with this week, you sly dog? Is this your latest catch?" A girl with long jet black hair dressed in monochromatic hues of clothing said, approaching the two males, adjusting her black shades as she did so.  
'Oh really Mew? Why now?' He thought to himself.  
'Brush it off...pretend like you don't even know her!'  
'Huh...good idea.' Without his brain, he'd be lost (It was evident...).  
Seeing Mew walking towards him, he walked around her, and ignored her as they passed her by. He didn't bother looking back.

He hoped Yohio wouldn't press him for answers...  
"Who was that? Someone you know? She seemed to know you...it's kind of funny she thought we were in a relationship actually." The blond asked nonchalantly.  
"Er, uh, no one in particular. Just someone I sort of know...ah, don't listen to her. She makes up a load of rumors which have NO truth whatsoever!" Kyo said exaggeratedly.  
"I thought so...she made you sound like a swinger or something."  
"Uh, a what?" Kyo asked in confusion.  
"Oh you know. Someone who is in many different relationships and can't seem to commit themselves to one person."  
"I thought that that was something married people did sometimes when they were bored with their lives?" Kyo questioned.  
"Dunno...maybe. But it doesn't really matter. I didn't think you were one of those people."  
"Ah..." Sounded like he didn't particularly like those "sorts of people". Kyo didn't blame him though.  
The awkward silence would have continued, had they not reached the class that they shared.  
"Oh, there it is. Thank you so much! I wouldn't have found it without your help Kyo." The blond thanked him, walking towards the door.  
"...W-wait! D-don't go in yet." Kyo blurted out, putting a hand on his shoulder. Yohio turned around in mild surprise.  
"Ok...but why Kyo?" He asked, tilting his head aside slightly.  
"Er...I...was wondering if...if you had a cell phone or something." Kyo asked in embarassment.  
"...Oh sure I do! You wanna exchange numbers?" He asked, trying to dig it out of his coat's pocket.  
"Only if you want to." He replied, as he got his own phone out.  
"Sure. You're the only person I know here after all. I'm glad I ran into you. Or rather you tripped into my field of vision." He said, giggling to himself.

Kyo felt his face heat up again. He never took first impressions this seriously (not before this morning anyways)...too bad HE did.  
After they had finished exchanging numbers, Kyo bid him farewell hurriedly, and dashed off around the corner before his teacher saw that he was there. Thought he rarely got caught, he didn't want to find out what would happen to him. He could just hid in the library or something...no one would ever check for him there (except Wil maybe as he was wise to his tricks). He would get some time to pull himself together. What had gotten into him? He had acted so oddly around this new guy! He had often developed short term "crushes" on various people (even random people on the street) but nothing ever came of those. He never made a move of any kind, not even saying "hi". Probably because he was more insecure than he would like to have been.  
He was over the infatuation by day's end. So...why did it feel different somehow this time around for him?

'What is it with this kid? Just thinking about him gets me all worked up...' He thought to himself as he made his way towards the library. Hardly anyone ever went there (besides maybe Kiyoteru, who was known as the school's resident bookworm and know-it-all; that guy had no social/dating life whatsoever...although of the few people he associated with, a pink-haired male who was shunned by many; they had been rumored to have a thing going on, but it would have been weird if that guy, who was a teacher at the school swung that way! Imagine, dating one of his students...Nah, it was probably just a rumor...), so it would be quite easy to get in un-noticed.  
"Strange guy..." Yohio remarked to himself after the brunet disappeared, before knocking on the classroom door anxiously, not knowing what was in store for him. The door immediately opened, and Yohio stepped in nervously, not looking forward to having everyone's attention on him...

...

Kyo sat at a vacant table by himself. He was lucky that there were no students studying in there currently, otherwise he may have had some answering to do.  
So the librarian would not get suspicious and ask any nosy questions, he was pretending he had business there by "reading" the book he had grabbed from off a shelf.  
'Huh. Wonder if I'll run into him again. I hope so...'  
'Oh snap out of it! I know what you're thinking. I don't THINK so mister!' That voice was back again. It was just his conscience most likely, though it sometimes felt like it had a life of its own.  
'I JUST want to be friends!' He protested.

He shook his head and tried to "concentrate" (staring off into space pretending to read) on the pages in front of him, while stopping random thought from popping into his head without much success. Sure, he was supposed to have been trying to sort things out up there, but much good that was doing! He had too many questions and too few answers. All over a guy he had just met that morning!  
This went on for roughly half an hour, though who was counting. After that, Kyo got the urge to get up and stretch his legs. Who knew it was so exhausting doing nothing? But he couldn't risk running into someone else he happened to know in the halls, or get caught by a wandering teacher.

'That Mew...of all the worst times. I hope Yohio didn't make anything of that! It's not gonna be easy hiding my...um, habits and choices from him here...if only there was a way for him to see a different me..it's only a matter of time before someone fills him in on my whole history here...' He thought half-heartedly. Fine way to start a relationship (friendship).  
While he was thinking that, someone snuck up behind him, and threw themself at the brunet.  
"Huhwha?!" Kyo yelped at this, almost falling out of his seat. This commotion caused the librarian to glance up from her computer and narrow her eyes at him like a hawk stalking its prey.  
"Uh...nothing, nothing at all...haha..." He laughed it off awkwardly, composing himself.

Facing the figure who had approached him, he breathed a sight of relief when he saw that it was only his younger brother Yuu.  
"Sorry big brother. I didn't mean to startle you." The younger blond said sheepishly, nervously messing with some of the colorful bracelets he wore.  
"Nah, no problem, it's my fault. I was spaced out again I guess."  
"Yeah...you tend to do that a lot, don't you? What are you doing here anyways? Are you skipping out agai-"  
His words were cut off by a hasty Kyo covering his mouth quickly, pulling him out of view behind a bookshelf.  
"Shhhh! I don't want anyone to overhear you! I know, I know...I'm supposed to be somewhere else." Seeing Yuu narrowing his blue eyes at him in annoyance, he let him go. "Er, sorry Yuu." Kyo said sheepishly. "If you keep skipping, it'll be on your permanent records you know! Wil's kinda getting fed up with you, seeing as you're supposed to be in English with him right now, and you're hardly ever there!" Yuu said with a tired sigh after Kyo released him.

"I know...How can I be?" Kyo said, his turn to sigh in exhausion. Yuu glanced at him like he was going to press him more, but thankfully, he didn't. He wasn't ready to tell Yuu or Wil his true motives for skipping.  
"What are you gonna do until the next class? Stay here?" Yuu asked, taking a seat next to his brother.  
"Yeah, I suppose. What else can I do?" Before Yuu could respond, he continued. "BESIDES going to class Yuu."  
"Right...right. Well, I'd keep you company and all, but I'm only supposed to be here for a few minutes. I'm supposed to be in the bathroom now." He whispered.  
"You got a hallpass just to hunt me down and grill me?"  
"Well, better me than Wil right? You know how scary he can get when he's angry." Yuu said nonchalantly as though that was old news. In reality, it was something the two of them was quite used to. They both shuddered a little picturing the green-eyed tanned male with "anger issues", to put it mildly.  
"I don't know why you have been skipping so much bro. But I guess you have your reasons, so I'll wait until you're ready to tell us."  
"Ok, see you later then." Kyo said, turning back to the book still on the table, as Yuu got up to exit the library.  
"Yep, see ya!" The perky blond said, dashing out of the library, but changed his tune when the librarian glared him down. He slowed his paced reluctantly.  
"Sorry ma'am." Yuu said sheepishly before leaving the mostly vacant room.

Kyo sighed again. 30 more minutes to go...at least he somewhat enjoyed his next class. It was choir...so that meant he would be singing. Come to think of it, it also was one of the 6 classes that he shared with Yohio...he wondered what his voice sounded like...  
'I'll bet he has an amazing voice...'

...

Hearing the bell ring, students got up rapidly to leave, and some even shoved others out of the way to be the first to exit. Everyone except Yohio was getting ready to leave. But he didn't want to venture out when there were so many people in the halls. It was awkward enough being the new kid. He had yet to hear any derogatory remarks from anyone, but at the same time, he felt completely out of place. But recalling his earlier meeting with Kyo, that made him perk up a little. At least he knew one person who didn't judge him from the get-go. Glancing up at the clock after a few minutes, as the teacher, Kiyomi, had let him stay behind sensing his anxiety...she was a nice lady who was apparently a Vocaloid along with her brother, who was also a teacher at the school, although she taught more of the older students than he did, as he tended to specialize in the younger/new Vocaloids and those with "certain needs". They chatted for a bit during those few minutes. He mentioned that he had befriended Kyo, and asked if she knew him. Unfortunately, he found out more than he bargained for. Among them, he found out that Kyo didn't have a free block after all...in fact, he was supposed to be in that class with him!

'Huh...wonder why he lied to me? He seemed genuine too! I wonder if what Ms. Hiyama said about him was true...she made him sound as though he was a delinquent...but she seemed nice too, and she is a teacher...who to believe? I just met the two of them, so I can't trust anyone too soon...' Yohio wondered as he set out to find his next class. Mentioning that he had had difficulties finding his way to his first class and how Kyo had helped him find his way there, Ms. Hiyama had been kind enough to direct him to where his locker was so he could meet up with him. But hearing how close he had been to her classroom seemed to really irk her, and it showed on her suddenly stern features as she heard the news. His next class was choir, and after showing his sheet to her, he also learned that Kyo was supposed to be in that class as well. 'Wonder if I'll see him there...' He thought with a frown, making his way through the now emptier hallways. Sure, he was nervous about singing in front of people for the first time, but he wasn't sure if Kyo would be making an appearance or not.

After making his way through the seemingly endless hallways, he made out Kyo's long shoulder length light brown locks and tall stature.  
He approached him nervously, but then remembered what Ms. Hiyama had informed him of, and quickened his pace.  
He leaned up to tap the brunet's shoulder, and crossed his arms a little when he turned around.  
"Hey...you didn't have to lie to me you know. I wouldn't have judged you if you had just been honest with me!" Yohio said frowning a little.  
"H-huh? W-w-what are you t-t-talking about?" Kyo stammered out in shock.  
"Ms Hiyama informed me of your record of routinely skipping out on her class. I suppose you have your reasons though...but you made yourself sound like a stellar student or something! But the way she was talking about you, she made you sound like a potential drop-out...and I felt like you kind of took advantage of me, since I'm the new kid and know no one..." Yohio trailed off, shifting his feet a little.

Kyo sighed, running a hand through his hair. Guess he was cornered now...  
"Look...I...I'm really sorry Yohio. I-I didn't mean to...I...just..." He turned away, feeling a wave of shame wash over him.  
"Just what? You can tell me...I mean...only if you want to..." The blond offered quietly.  
"I...Huh. A part of me wants to confide in you, but...well, now's not the time. Some other time maybe. Um...so, we're in the same choir class together right?" Yohio nodded, moving his newly acquited books from under one arm to the other.  
"Ok, suit yourself...Well, evidently...are YOU going though?" He asked, narrowing his ruby eyes slightly, causing Kyo to flinch a little.  
"Oh yeah, sure. I actually DO like choir. But...damn it! I've made you late again. If this keeps up, you'll develop a reputation thanks to me!" Kyo groaned, slamming his locker door shut.  
"That's alright...it's my fault partially. Really! Um, actually...oh, never mind." The Swedish male said, changed his mind.  
"No, what is it?" Kyo asked nosily.  
"Well...I don't really need to carry these books with me now...but I don't have a locker yet...so...I was gonna-"  
"Sure, sure! I insist! It's cool...I should have offered...I'm sorry about that!" Kyo interrupted, throwing his locker door open again once he had successfully opened it again (which took a minute of frantically fumbling with the lock). "Go ahead, toss them in. Er...somewhere in here..." Kyo said, staring into the discombobulated black hole that was his locker.

"You sure about this? I don't want to impose..." Yohio said gently, looking at him in uncertainty.  
"Yep, yep! But hurry." He warned. The other male set his books on a vacant space (which took a minute or so to find) and Kyo relocked his locker once more.  
"You know, your locker could really use a cleanout...it looks like a hurricane torn through it!" Yohio giggled aloud, while Kyo felt his cheeks heat up yet again.  
Must he always be embarassed in front of this guy? 'Evidently...I sense a repeat pattern here...' He thought in exasperation.

Yohio laughed even more seeing him blush. "Er...so, uh...how did you find my locker anyways?" Kyo asked, trying to change the subject fast.  
"Dunno really. I guess it's because I mentioned that you were the only person I knew currently to Ms. Hiyama since she told me where it was. I didn't even ask."  
The blond answered as he followed closely behind the brunet.  
"Ah...well...uh, don't take her TOO seriously ok? She's always had it in for me, it seems...I'm really not that bad! She just likes to talk me down like I am!" Kyo stated, as he turned a corner.  
"I believe you." Was all he got in response.  
"I'm really not tha-huh?" He paused in confusion. Had he heard him right?  
"Yeah. I don't think you're that bad. I just know these things. Now let's get to class." Yohio said nonchalantly, walking past him a few feet.  
"Um...h-hey! You need me to lead the way, don't you?" Kyo hollered, trailing after him.  
"No, I'm good! This door leads to an auditorium right?" The Swedish male called back. Kyo almost face-palmed himself right there and then. Of course...the door with multicolored musical notes painted all over it...how could he miss it?

...

The bell rang again, and it was noon hour. Time for a break (although for Kyo, an average day was usually one long recess)! But he didn't budge. He would wait until there was a clear walking path in front of him. He was only mildly surprised at how good Yohio sounded, and that he was bilingual as well! Though he was quite nervous at singing in front of all those people, that was obvious. Still...there was one upside to that, Kyo thought as he waited. The class had gone quite well for the two of them, though there were some awkward parts for the both of them.  
'He was too anxious to hear the gossip around him about us. Stupid kids...if it weren't for me, they wouldn't say a word about him...well...maybe some girls might.'  
He didn't blame them. He had partially tripped on his face practically because of the attractive blond.  
He glanced up to see Yohio pulling his newly received songbook to his chest, standing off to the side as the students rushed out like a stampede of hungry hogs, noting how some of the last remaining kids were whispering and glancing at him as they left.

He got up seeing space between them, and closed the distance dividing them.  
"Hey, you sounded really great, you know that? But I wasn't shocked or anything. Your speaking voice was a dead giveaway that you had talent."  
Kyo said casually, but not too casually. He wanted it to be genuine, but didn't want the other male to think he was coming onto him (even though he knew what direction the whole thing was going in slowly). Yohio smiled faintly. "Thanks...you too."

They were silent after that for a still moment.

Kyo started walking towards the exit. "Well...shall we?" He asked curiously, turning back around.  
"...Yeah, sure...one second." The shy blond mumbled, shifting his feet nervously.  
"What's wrong?" He asked, clearly seeing that he was upset.  
"...Oh nothing. It's silly. I just need a moment to pull myself together." The Swed replied.  
"Are you...scared of that?" Kyo guessed uncertainly, pointing towards the halls that were overflowing with kids.  
He didn't get a vocal response, though the other male nodded slightly.  
"...Yeah." He whispered, not facing the tall brunet.

"Oh...I see." He wasn't very good with comforting anyone, but he decided to try. He walked over to the shorter male, and gently put a hand on his shoulder, lightly squeezing it comfortingly.  
"Hey...it'll be ok. You don't have to face all that alone you know. I mean, you've got me. I mean, I won't leave, though I know it's not exactly a lot and you can probably do a hell of a lot better than me, and I know I'm not choosing the right words, but-" He was cut off by something leaning against him. Looking down slowly, he was stunned to see the blond male leaning against his body. Heck, they didn't know each other THAT well (yet)!  
'Well, this is weird. I mean, I'm practically a stranger to him...' He thought feeling his heart speed up.  
"Um, I, uh well, this is, er..." He tried to form a coherant sentence, but failed miserably, his face heating up yet again.  
Thank god all the other kids had already left...

"...Sorry...it's just...I haven't felt such kindess for, well, forever it feels like." Yohio answered, his voice slightly muffled. He pulled back in embarassment.  
"R-really?!" Kyo blurted out for the countless time that day (and the day was barely half over). Yohio nodded once more.  
"Yeah...um...I don't really want to talk about it." The blond replied, gazing at the ground once more.  
"Ok, but...bullies, right?" Kyo asked, pulling away to head towards the door. He nodded again.  
"Ok, I won't press you for answers then." He scolded himself again for his use of words. It felt like everything he was saying to him was sending the "wrong" message...  
"Thanks. I appreciate it. Really." The Swedish male replied barely audibly as he trailed after him slowly.

As soon as they entered the hallways, Yohio's gaze turned towards the ground, and he walked a bit closer to Kyo.  
"Um...so...where are we going? I mean...what do you usually do during this time?"  
Kyo had to think about that for a moment. It wasn't like he had a crazy partying lifestyle like some people assumed him to have. Although he did do some things that were considered "questionable" by gossipers (the people who he deemed "against him"), he actually prefered to be on his own when at school. The people he hung out with that he knew at school he would hook up with outside of the school. Wil (though he was the "more intelligent" one of the three of them, although Kyo wasn't sure where THAT idea came from), actually was the opposite of Kyo. Wil hung out with many people (they were kind of in the same crowd, though Wil was surprisingly quite popular) at school, and prefered to stay home and read when he got out. Their lifestyles were somewhat the same, but switched around.  
Kyo often went off school campus during the lunch hour to be alone and away from the gossip. He didn't know how much longer the whole "avoiding everyone he knew" thing could go on for. Or how he could try to build a relationship, er friendship, that is with Yohio without someone (thinking they are doing him "a favor") filling him in on Kyo's lifestyle. Or soon to be old lifestyle.

It wasn't meant to last. Nor did he desire it to.

A voice clearing their throat brought him back to the present.  
"Uh...sorry to interrupt...but...maybe we shouldn't stand in the middle of the hallway?" Yohio sheepishly pointed out. Kyo snapped out of his stupor, and a sigh, replied. "Sorry...it won't happen again." Before he could say anything else, he caught a glimpse of Mew's inky locks in the crowd. Uh oh...  
"Er, uh, we should get some fresh air. Come on." Kyo said, leading Yohio out of the school to the nearest exit. He seemed surprised, but didn't say a word.

...

"So...want to explain what that was about?" Yohio asked, walking alongside him.  
"Why? I-I-I didn't know you expected an answer!" The brunet replied nervously.  
"Well no, I don't. But your actions were curious, is all. Avoiding someone?"  
"Well...yes I suppose. I-" He paused, realizing something. He stopped walking. They were almost at the school's front gates.  
"Why'd you stop?" The blond male asked, walking around him to face him head-on.  
"Because I was thinking of something."  
"No surprise there." Yohio laughed, smiling lightly to himself.  
"Yeah I-Hey! What does that mean?" Kyo exclaimed.  
"Nothing...just an innocent observation." He replied coyly. "So..." He continued. "What's on your mind to make you stop dead in your tracks?"  
"Well Mr. Loid, I'm willing to make an offer to you." The brunet said, not sure which direction this sudden idea would go.  
"Oh yeah? What kind of an offer, Mr. Kyo-who-has-no-last-name-that-I'm-aware-of?" The Swed answered.  
"One concerning you. If you let me get well acquainted with you, I promise to let you get to know me. If you like, that is." Kyo finished, stopping to lean against the slightly rusty iron gates of their school.  
"Huh, that's quite an offer...and you drive a hard bargain. But...well...I'll have to think about that one." Yohio smirked slightly.  
"Fine, fine. I'll give you time." Kyo said simply, walking ahead of the blond.

They walked onwards in silence.

"Um...where are we going anyways? Some place you know of?"  
"Yeah. You could say that it's a special place that I know of that hardly anyone ventures into. They're all hung-up on fast food which doesn't appeal to me at all. Nobody supports the little independent places anymore."  
"Me neither. And you're so right." Yohio sighed, shaking his head.

After another minute or so, they approached a small, empty looking cafe, with outdoor seating. Kyo walked up to the door, and turned back around to face Yohio.  
"Do you want anything? Let me know, and I'll take care of it." He said, pulling out a chair for him.  
"Um...ok, sure, if you say so. But...what does this place have?" He asked as he sat down on the iron-back metal chair.  
"Well, I know they're a fairly small cafe, but they have all sorts of drinks and snacks. Try me. I come here all the time, so I practically have the menu on file up here!" Kyo laughed, pointing up towards his head.  
"Hmmm...alright then. Do they have a vanilla-bean soy latte with aniseed?" The blond questioned.  
"Oh sure! I thought you would request something really odd like a dark chocolate-jalapeno-cinnamon-cardemom-latte with dragonfruit on the side."  
"That actually sounds kind of good! Well, except for the dragonfruit, which wouldn't go with coffee."  
"Haha, really? That's what I always get here! Minus dragonfruit. I just threw that in there." Kyo said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.  
"Uh huh...so you have a taste for spicy foods I guess?" Yohio asked curiously, crossing his legs casually as he leaned back into his chair.  
"Yep! And you?" Kyo asked, poking his head back for the third time in the doorway.  
"AFTER you order Ky." The Swedish male responsed semi-cool-ly.  
"Oh alright...Ky? Really now?" The tall brunet asked raising an eyebrow.  
"Yep, that's your nickname from now on. I'm surprised you didn't think of it yourself."  
"Well I-ok, going now!" He hollered, dashing into the darkly lit cafe.

Kyo stepped into the small shop and went to ring the bell on the counter.  
A small, elderly woman came out from the back of the store. "Hello Kyo. Ever good to see you again. What'll it be today?"  
"The usual please Suzume." Kyo answered leaning against the counter absent-mindedly.  
"And for the young gentleman out there?" Kyo froze hearing that."Hey...who says I'm with him?"  
"I saw you talking to him, so I assumed you knew him. Besides, I've never seen him before around these parts. Is he new?" The old woman responded nonchalantly.  
"Uh...oh. Good point. Yeah, I just met him actually. Oh, he wants a vanilla-bean soy latte with aniseed."  
"Alrighty then...how are things going then?" She asked as she went to mix the beverages.  
"W-what does that mean? I just met him, there's not much to tell."  
"Well, there must be SOMETHING to say."  
"What? It's not like we're in a relationship or something!" Kyo said defensively.

"All right young man. Calm down. I can tell it's a touchy subject with you." He breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry Suzume." Since he had no parents (being a Vocaloid), she was like a mother figure to him in a way.  
"Quite all right. Perhaps you'll tell me more as time goes on." She said simply as she put the finished drinks on a small wooden tray.  
"Ok, I will. Promise. Thank you as always." Kyo replied, handing her some bills. But she waved it off.  
"No, not this time. It's on the house." Kyo's head shot up in shock.  
"H-huh? No way Granny! You're talking batty!" He exclaimed. Suzume merely laughed.  
"No, I wouldn't say that. Eccentric perhaps. I must be for all the time I've spent with you." She said with another laugh.  
Kyo turned towards the door in embarassment. "Yeah...yeah. See you again."  
"Come back anytime...and bring your friend with you." She winked at him mischieviously.  
"Suzume...don't get any ideas! Y-y-you've got me all wrong!" Kyo stammered in embarassment. With a defeated sigh, he left the cafe.  
'I can't win with her! She always see through me.' He thought with slight annoyance.

Seeing that Yohio was still there (for some reason, he thought he wouldn't be), he set his drink down in front of him, and walked to sit on the other side of the table bringing the tray with him.  
"What's with the shouting in there? Everything ok?"  
"Sorry about that. Uh, that was me." He apologized.  
"No problem. I guess you know that woman well, huh?" The Swedish male asked as he sipped his drink.  
"Yes, quite well. She's like a mother to me really. We developed a bond I guess because I was one of the few repeat customers for her business." Kyo said, taking a sip of his drink slowly.

"Hmm...so, why the shouting Ky?" Yohio questioned once more.  
Kyo stopped mid-sip, and glanced up at the blond boy. "Ok, first of all, can I call you Hio? If I get a nickname, it's only fair I give you one, right?" The blond nodded.  
"Sure, that makes sense. Go ahead. So...what happened in there?"  
Kyo sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing. She likes to embarass me I guess. We just got into a little tiff I guess. It's routine for us. Don't worry about it." He added, waving it off dismissively.  
"Ok then. Suit yourself." Hio shrugged.  
They sat in silence for a few minutes sipping their beverages.  
"So...I haven't made up my mind yet, but is there anything you will allow yourself to tell me about yourself before I do so?" Hio asked casually.  
"Hm...well, let me think now. That's a tough question. You won't get the whole story until you make your decision." Kyo replied, gazing off into the distance.  
"Huh. You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" The blond asked with a small smirk.  
"Depends. But generally, yes. So...you didn't answer my earlier question Hio."  
"Huh? Oh, easy! Cold."  
"What?"  
"Answering the foods I prefer. The opposite of you. Sweet and cold." Hio said as he took another sip of his beverage.  
"Ah..." (He resisted the urge to ask "but are you the things you eat?")

Another period of silence fell over them, though it was slightly an uneasy one.  
"Huh...well, um...this is awkward." Kyo said uneasily.  
"How so?" Yohio replied curiously.  
"Well, for one thing, I don't have much to tell you that would be going against the offer. I wish I did..."  
"Meh, it's fine. To be honest, I DO want to get to know you, and I would take you up on your offer...but...something is holding me back I guess. It's hard to explain."  
Kyo glanced up at him to replied. "May I take a stab at it?"  
"A guess? Sure..."  
"You trust me, but you don't. You want to confide in me, but aren't a hundred percent certain if that is the right thing to do right now." Kyo answered in certainty.  
Now it was Hio's turn to be stunned with shock. "H-h-how-?!"  
"Just a lucky guess perhaps." Kyo shrugged in response, taking another sip calmly.  
"Well, whatever it is, you were right on the money! Can you relate?" The Swedish boy asked, turning the tables on him.  
"Maybe. Maybe that's why I wanted to make a deal with you. It seems fair, doesn't it?"  
"...Yeah. I guess we both have something the other person kind of wants. Ummm...w-w-well..y-you know w-w-what I mean!" Yohio stammered, turning his head away in embarassment, his face heating up. Kyo laughed a little, seeing the tables being turned. Huh.

'He sure is cute...' The brown haired male thought.

"You can tell I'm not normal right? Normal people don't go to great lengths to get to know someone. They just talk and that's that." Kyo laughed to himself, trying to deplet the awkward atmosphere some more.  
"Hm...I suppose. I must not be "normal" either to want to know someone like you." Yohio smiled slightly, looking up to meet the brunet's brown eyes with his unusual red gem-like ones, sending a shiver down his spine.  
"Oh sure, you say that now. But when someone better comes along-"  
"Oh really? Define "better". How do you know you aren't "worthy" the way you are? Maybe you are just undercutting yourself." Hio challenged.  
"Eh, maybe. But I'll let you be the judge of that, k?" Kyo answered quickly, crossing his legs.  
"Alright, that does it. I'm taking you on." The Swed said suddenly.  
"H-huh? I beg your pardon?" Kyo blurted out in surprise (should've seen that coming).  
"On your offer silly. I accept. But...I still need some time to prepare myself, is that ok?"  
"Heck yeah. It's not like you get a deadline like on a test or something. I'm not timing you Hio! Whenever you're ready. Though...I kind of hope that's soon." Kyo added the last part more quietly. But Hio picked up on that. He smiled a little hearing that.  
"Ok...ok...I'll try." He replied, nervously twirling a piece of his golden locks daintily.

Kyo thought of something else to say.  
"...You know...I hope you don't mind me saying this, probably because it sounds weird, but...I can't get that image of you out of my mind."  
"...H-h-huh?" The blond stuttered taken off guard, his cheeks reddening once more.  
"I mean when I first saw you this morning. Maybe it was just the sun blinding me, but...you know, not like I'm coming onto you, or anything, but...I'm saying this from a straight guy's point of view!" Kyo continued (though he was "partially" lying at the moment).  
"And that is? Don't leave me hanging Ky!" Hio teased in response, composing himself.  
"You're very attractive. That's all. Simple as that."  
"Aww...that's sweet. I rarely hear that from anyone, male OR female you know. You know, I always thought I was kind of a freak."

"WHY?" Kyo almost shouted. Yohio laughed a little in amusement.  
"Well, it's my eyes for one thing. They are kind of odd, aren't they? Kids were merciless. They thought they were constantly bleeding or something! I got strange looks on the streets all the time before coming here." He sighed, shaking his head at the memories.  
"Ugh, kids can be pretty stupid and cruel." Kyo said in slight disgust. "I don't think your eyes are "bleeding". Quite the opposite actually."  
"T-t-thanks Kyo...I'm...Sorry this sounds silly, but I'm glad that I met you. That you're the first person I've met. I didn't think I could connect with anyone here to be perfectly honest with you. But...I'm just glad I met you." Yohio said softly with a small smile towards Kyo.  
"Yeah, I'm glad too. I know you still need time to think, but I'm glad you trusted in me enough to even tell me that little piece of your past, though I'm sure that is just a small scratch on the surface?" The blond nodded.  
"Yeah, but I'll get back to you, I promise!"  
"You'll have to regardless, it's time to return to school now unfortunately." Kyo said, glancing at his watch. Yohio's face fell, but he nodded.  
"Ok, let's go then. Um...what about our drinks?"  
"I'll take the containers back inside right now. One sec." The brunet said quickly, dashing into the store with the now empty beverage containers and tray with them.

...

They walked back to the school in silence, but it was a comforting one. The previous awkward air was now history (at least for the time being).  
"Hey, what classes do you have this afternoon?" Yohio asked Kyo curiously. Kyo paused to think about that.  
"Well...I have Math and History with Gakuko and Kiyoteru. But...I usually don't go." He admitted, feeling slightly ashamed doing so.  
"Huh. I'm not familiar with those names, I don't think I'm in those two classes-wait. That history teacher's name sounds familiar..." Hio said aloud.  
"Yeah, his sister is our English teacher. The one you met this morning." Kyo answered as they approached the school's iron gates. Somehow, they appeared to be late again. 'I guess we were walking too slow or something...' Kyo thought with an inward sigh.  
"Oh god...I think I've made you late again. Well, the least I can do is help you find your next two classes."  
"Whatever...it's cool. How're you going to do that? You don't even have the same classes as me?" Hio asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.  
"No, I don't. But I'm pretty familiar with this school. When I skip out, I think is the term, I get restless, and often roam the halls."  
"How do you not get caught though?"  
"Oh...I have my ways. I know the "tricks of the trade"." Yohio smirked at this.  
"What trade? You're not working, you're avoiding it!" He teased, walking swiftly ahead of Kyo, who felt his face heat up yet again.  
"I-I-I, uh...says you!" He shouted back lamely, running after him, following him into the school.

...

"Show me your sheet again." Kyo said after he had caught up with Hio. The blond boy handed it to him wordlessly.  
"Hmmm...so you're supposed to be there..." The brunet muttered to himself, scratching his head.  
"...You don't have a clue, do you?" The Swedish male guessed.  
"NO, I do! I just didn't want to walk that far..." Kyo retorted, slightly sheepish. Hio laughed a little.  
"I'm not lazy, so don't even go there..." Kyo grumbled partially to himself, turning his gaze away from his companion.  
"I didn't say anything...you don't have to show me if you don't want to. You've already done so much today. I can go to the office myself." The blond replied.  
"Oh, trying to get rid of me huh? Alright, suit yourself then." Kyo teased, as he began to walk away.  
"Now wait just a darn minute...Tall Guy!" Hio said accusingly. Kyo stopped suddenly in his tracks.  
"Tall Guy? Really?" He said, turning around, a visible smirk on his face.  
"Sorry, slipped out. Who said what you said?" Yohio said, averting his gaze.  
"I was kidding. I'll show you to your classes. It's up a flight of stairs." He said, leading the way for the next few minutes, Hio trailing after him wordlessly.

...

"Well, here we are! Looks like you have the same subjects, but different teachers." Kyo said as he leaned against a locker.  
"Do you know anything about these teachers by any chance?" His companion questioned.  
"I only know their names unfortunately...Mizki and Meiko...though I've heard that Meiko has a bad temper and has been known to yell at her students. I have no clue why." Kyo said with a shrug.  
"Huh..." Was the only reply he got.  
"Don't worry, I'm sure she won't target you. You don't look like a troublemaker after all."  
"...Says you! Looks can be deceiving...after all, I believed the things you told me this morning." Kyo was surprised that he brought that up again.  
"I didn't know you were still upset about that..." He said quietly.

They were silent for a moment.

Finally, Kyo thought it would be best to walk away from this awkwardness that had formed in the air. But he was tugged back gently.  
"...I'm not mad. I was just using that as an example. Sorry I made you feel-"  
"No need for an apology! I did lie after all...but, well...I did have my reasons at the time..."  
"Such as? Sorry, I'm nosy..." Hio said.  
"Well, I can't really tell you that, though I did. But since I can't, let me make it up to you. I can be truthful after all."  
"Like this afternoon?"  
"Precisely. But, I am asking if you would allow me to walk you home...I mean, depending on where you are, of course!" Kyo said, beginning to blush.  
"Hm...I don't know. Give me some time. I DO happen to live nearby...but I have yet to go there...I haven't been there yet...heheh..." His companion said, beginning to giggle. "What is it?" Kyo asked in confusion.

"Nothing, nothing. It just sounds kinda...you know..."couplely", don't you think?"  
"What? How? I-I-I don't see it that way, you know." The brunet responded, slightly flustered. Yohio softly smiled.  
"I know...that's just me, thinking what someone else may think. You know, I heard some people talking today in choir, but I ignored them. I wonder why they'd say things like that? You said you weren't gay...are you?" He asked curiously.  
"Y-you actually heard them? I-I-I thought for sure you missed it! I, uh...NO! Of course not...n-n-not that there's anything WRONG with it!" The brown-haired male stammered, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over him.

Before Yohio could respond, another voice interrupted them. "KYO! Where are you supposed to be, young man?" Both males looked up in shock.  
"M-Ms Hiyama..." Hio said in surprise seeing their English teacher approaching them.  
"I-I-I thought you had a class now!" Kyo stammered, his face paling a little.  
"I have a teacher's aid in my place for the moment. I knew you were around here somewhere. Skipping again! What would Master say?" Kiyomi said, as she  
shook her head.  
"M-Master? You...you can't tell him! I mean, don't get him involved!" Kyo said, slightly fearful. Hio was confused.  
"Who's this Master person?" He whispered to Kyo.  
"Our boss kind of. He the head honcho of all of us I guess. You've never met him?" Hio shook his head. A wave of realization hit him.  
"Oh right! You're from overseas! You're from out of country!" He exclaimed.  
"Kyo, I'm afraid I have no choice, but to inform Master. You've been skipping too often, and it shows on your records. Come with me." She sternly, narrowing her eyes at the tall brunet. He hung his head. No use running away now...he had already been embarassed in front of Yohio...

Speaking of, the Swed was caught up in what Kyo had informed him of, and barely noticed that the brunet was being led away.  
"...W-w-wait Ms. Hiyama! I-I-It wasn't Kyo's fault...I-I-I didn't know where my classes were, and he was kind enough to show me...in fact, he's been nothing but kind and helpful to me today!" Yohio called out nervously. Kiyomi turned around to face him, her gaze softening. Kyo glanced at him, clearly taking aback.  
"...I can understand that. And I'm sure he was, being the only person you currently know here. But the fact remains that his class attendence is a cause for alarm. I would have eventually had to bring this up with Master anyways." She told him.  
"W-w-what's going to happen to him?" Yohio asked.  
"Nothing right now. He'll just be in the office for the rest of the day; detention. I know I can't make him go to his classes, after all." She assured him. "You can see him after school Mr. Loid." With that, she walked away, Kyo trailing after him. He looked back at him one last time.  
"Don't worry about me Hio, I'll be fine! Go to your classes now...you're late as it is!" He called back. The Swedish boy nodded. The brunet disappeared around the corner. Yohio walked to the door of his history class and nervously knocked on the door. It was going to be a LONG afternoon...


	2. Chapter 2

**2nd half of chapter 1. Third half WIP. Told you it was a long one!**

...  
..

The last bell of the day finally rang. As usual, Yohio waited until everyone else had left, but seeing as his math teacher seemed to be in a fowl mood that day, he ducked out of sight, deciding not to hang around. He nervously made his way through the hallways, trying to avoid looking at anyone. It seemed that there were already rumors circulating about him. Was it because of his unusual looks? Or because he had befriended Kyo? Perhaps it was both...as if the first day wasn't hard enough for him!

Speaking of the brunet...Hio felt his face heat up thinking of him. He was unaware of his reasons for skipping his classes, but he must have been avoiding something. He didn't seem to be a juvenile delinquent that just hated doing schoolwork, after all.  
'I hope he's ok...' He thought worriedly, as he tried to make his way towards the school's office. At least THAT was easy enough to find in this giant school...  
He wondered why he felt all hot and a little dizzy inside. Was it just the aftermath of the first day? Well, that was sure a part of it no doubt.  
'Why do I feel this way? It's only the first day! I don't even know the guy...but I think I know this feeling..'  
Not looking where he was going, he slammed into someone.

'Ooof!'

"Oh man, not again! Why can't I keep my work organized...oh, he'll be so disappointed in me." The person before Hio said. He was about the same height as Hio, and had medium length light pink locks and his attire was primarily pink as well as starker shades. He adjusted his smoky gray beanie, and frantically tried to gather his papers.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going...here, I'll help you!" The blond offered, and bent down to help the pinkette with his papers.  
"Thanks a bunch! That's the second time that's happened today!" The pink haired male said gratefully.  
"Yeah, no problem! It was my fault though for not looking where I was going. I was trying to find the office."  
"Oh, you're so close! It's just around that corner, then you make a turn to the left, and it's at the end." The other male instructed.  
"Oh ok, thanks so much! Hey...you have the same history teacher as..." Yohio trailed off, handing the student his last paper after glancing at it.  
"As who?" He asked curiously.  
"Oh, uh, just someone I know." The blond said casually.  
"Huh...Hey, aren't you that new kid that everyone's been talking about?" The blond looked up in shock. "U-uh...e-everyone?!" It was unsettling to hear.  
"Yeah...rumors have been circulating about this new Vocaloid that has been spotted with like the biggest player in this school."  
"Umm...that doesn't sound like me...I mean, maybe we just look similar...do you know what this kid looks like?" Yohio said, playing it cool.

"Nope, not a clue! I just heard it being passed around. But I usually don't pay attention to gossip. I've been the target of it myself."  
"Really? Like what?" Hio asked. The pink haired guy looked at him in shock.  
"You haven't heard? Man, either you are that new kid, or are extremely out-of-the-loop! I've been paired off with a teacher I have, if you can believe it! I mean, OK...so I see the guy as a friend...and maybe we've hung out outside of the school. But so what? Teachers are people too! They're just like everyone else outside of school! At least, I think so..." The pinketter murmured, though Yohio noticed his cheeks flushing as he spoke of this person.  
"A teacher? Huh...I think Kyo mentioned this briefly..." Hio muttered to himself. The pinkette, overhearing this, perked up in realization.  
"Kyo? You KNOW Kyo? Then you ARE that new kid aren't you?! Yohio, right?" The blond felt his heartbeat pick up. He figured it out...but it was because of his slip-up.

The pink haired male looked at him curiously with his bright, unusual chartreuse eyes.  
"...Yeah...that's me." He said defeatedly. "But I don't see what the big thing is! He's the only person I knew here! Why are people making such a huge deal?"  
"Well...there are a lot of rumors of him being a..." The other male lowered his voice. "Player. You know...a heartbreaker. Someone who sleeps around a lot.  
Like a...male whore I guess...I mean, I shouldn't be saying things like that; perhaps it's all just talk! But...he has been known to hang out with a...well; what I would consider a bad crowd of people...so, maybe you should watch your back if you are hanging around him." The pinkette said nervously, reorganizing his papers.  
"Wow...maybe that's why he avoids going to classes...because of talk." Hio whispered to himself. "Well, thanks for showing concern, and I will, but I think I'm ok. Things seem to be going smoothly so far." He said with a nod, and was about to walk away, but turned back.  
"Um...what's your name just in case I run into you again? I mean, not literally of course!" The blond said sheepishly.  
"Yeah, maybe! I'm Yuuma...it was nice meeting you! See you around then!" The pinkette said, dashing around the corner in the opposite direction.  
'Interesting character.' Yohio remarked to himself, as he walked towards the office...

...

Hio walked through the office's glass door, and rang the bell on the counter.  
"Yes, may I help you?" A secretary said.  
"Um, yes...is someone by the name of Kyo in here by any chance?" He asked nervously.  
The woman seemed to recognize the name by the unmistakable look of distain she gave him.  
"Oh yes...of course. He's in the back. You'll have to wait until his time is up." She said curtly, pointing towards the waiting area.  
Yohio sighed, and thanked her. He sat down in one of the vacant seats, and leaned back a little, staring up at the ceiling.

Even the secretary knew who he was...and it wasn't a very positive reaction that he had gotten from her either!  
'What kind of a past did he have? Is it really all just talk, like Yuuma suggested? I have to find out...but...he wasn't ready to tell me until I was ready to tell him...about myself...but I'm still not sure I can completely trust someone I've known for barely a day! What if...he's just messing around with me after all, and the rumors happen to be true? Or maybe I'm making a huge deal out of nothing, and being swayed by the crowd! Oh...I don't know WHAT to do! I WANT to trust him..." He thought in exasperation, his mind racing.

After what seemed like ages, he saw a familiar brunet walking out of the back of the office, with Kiyomi, talking after him.  
"...So the meeting will be sometime next week then. Until then, you will be suspended for the rest of the week." Kyo turned around to face her in shock.  
"WHAT? I can't miss the rest of this week! Today's only Monday...that's so long! You can't do this Ms. Hiyama! Not this week! What about..."  
"Your friend? I'm sure he'll understand. We'll assist him here at the school. You aren't the only one who can be of assistance Kyo." She said simply. The brunet averted his gaze, crestfallen.  
"Fine." He murmured, and turned away angrily. The teacher walked over to him.  
"You know I don't want to have to do this to you. But as I see it, something has to be done about all this. I'm sure this is only upsetting now because of your  
new-found friendship, and I understand why you're angry with me. But I'm not your enemy Kyo, despite what you may personally think of me."  
"...But, I...can't I just get all my work that I've behind in, and work separately in the library or something? There has to be an alternative! Please, I won't be a bother! I promise!" The brunet suggested in desperation.

Kiyomi looked deep in thought for a moment. "Hmmmm...you may have something there...Well, alright then. I am NOT guaranteeing anything Kyo, but I will think this over, and let you know by tomorrow morning at the latest. You may go now." She said simply.  
At that moment, Kyo felt his hope returning. "Thank you so much." He said, not forgeting his manners, bowing to his English teacher. She just waved it off.  
"You're welcome. I'm not saying I'm against an alternative. But it all depends on what Master says. I will be in touch. I won't keep your friend waiting any longer." She said, with a small wink towards Kyo as she departed. Kyo was dumbfounded.

'Ummmm...WHAT just happened?' He thought to himself. Snapping out of his thoughts, he walked over to Yohio, who he hoped didn't pay too much attention to his embarassing display.  
"Hey..." He began awkwardly. The blond smiled slightly).  
"Hey yourself. You ready to go now?"  
"Er, go?" The brunet asked in confusion.  
"Oh don't you remember? You offered to walk me home...or were you really being serious?" Hio reminded him.  
"OH right! Yeah yeah...Of course I was! I just need to stop by my locker. Don't you want to drop off those books? You can keep your stuff in my locker until you get one of your own if you like. I'll give you my key and combination since I barely go in there anyways!" He said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.  
"Ok, thanks a lot!" Hio said, getting out of his seat, following the brunet out of the office.

...

They walked through the empty halls to Kyo's locker. Hio leaned against a locker next to the brunet's as he struggled to get his locker open.  
"Argh, come on, you stupid thing! For fuck's sake..." The brunet cursed under his breath.  
"Hey, calm down." The blond piped up in concern, probably because he didn't like hearing people swear.  
"Sorry. This damn locker gets on my nerves sometimes. It's impossible to open somedays! Ah...here we go, finally!" Kyo replied in exasperation, flinging the offending door open.  
"Here, set your stuff down where-ever." Kyo invited.  
"As I said before, this thing needs a good clean-out!" Hio remarked, throwing his stuff down on top of his other books that he had placed in said locker hours before.  
"Yeah yeah, I know." The tall brunet replied, shutting his locker again.  
They headed towards the front doors of the school. It seemed as though almost everyone had already departed for home.  
"So...uh, where exactly do you live Hio?" Kyo asked as they walked out of the school's front doors.  
"Um...it's kinda hard to describe, why don't you just follow me and see where the road takes you? After all, this place'll be new to me as well!" The blond said mischieviously.  
"Uh..." Kyo drew a blank hearing this reply. Yohio broke into a small fit of giggles seeing this.  
"I'm kidding! You don't HAVE to you know. You've done a lot for me today, and you know I appreciate this." The Swedish male smiled sweetly.  
Kyo felt his heart speed up at that. "No...I don't have to be home at any particular time. I'd be glad to accompany you." He said casually, as they continued to walk.

They walked in silence for a while, as Hio lead the way.  
"So...where do YOU live Ky?" He asked after a few minutes.  
"Who, me? Um...near here. I share a house with my younger brother and my best friend. Maybe you could come over some time." The brown-haired male replied.  
"Yeah, maybe! Doesn't it ever get awkward or weird sharing the space?" Yohio asked as they walked. Kyo shook his head.  
"Nah...not at all. After all, Yuu's my little brother, and Wil's one of the few people I considered a real friend-" He paused mid-sentence.  
"Well...I mean...I consider you one as well, though we've just met." He added in slight embarassment. Hio smiled at this.  
"Same here. Have you always shared the space?" Kyo nodded. "It's what we were assigned to. I'm guessing where you live you share with some other vocaloids?"  
The Swed shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I never thought of that...I THINK I recall reading that I'd be sharing my living quarters with some others. Huh...that might be kind of weird for me."  
"Well, it might not be so bad after all. We'll see, right?" Kyo asked. Yohio shrugged again.  
"Maybe."

They walked on in slightly awkward silence. Hio should have been thinking about who he would be living with (which had completely slipped his mind; heck, he was still trying to adjust to everything happening to him, from being the new kid to these "weird flustery" feelings he was getting around his brown-haired companion) for one thing...but what was really troubling him at the moment was what Yuuma had told him in the halls.  
NOT that strangers were gossiping about him. But the rumors about Kyo's lifestyle choices and past. Was there any truth to them at all?  
'It's not like it is something I can just come right out and ask him. You don't just ask someone "Are you a player?" Or "Do you sleep around a lot?" No way! But how will I find the truth? I want to know who he really is...I mean, he has made it clear that he wants me to let him get to know me...which I sort of want to as well...oh damn it Hio! Make up your mind already! What's the big deal? Don't be swayed by the crowd!' But no matter how many times he repeated it to himself, to no avail. He was sure Yuuma had only tried to be helpful...but it seemed that learning the news was subconsciously influencing what he thought about Kyo.

Not paying attention to where he was headed, he slammed into Kyo, who had stopped abruptedly.  
"Huh?! What'd you stop?" He complained, rubbing his forehead a little. The other male let out a long sigh.  
"Sorry. I noticed that you've been very quiet, and seemed like you had some things on your mind. I guess I let myself get caught up in what might possibly be bothering you." He replied with a small shrug.  
"Oh...yeah. Sorry about that. My bad." He was about to walk ahead, but was pulled back by Kyo.  
"Hio? I'm sorry, but I don't think I can continue unless you..." He trailed off.  
"Unless I?" The blond pressed, turning back around to face him.  
"Unless you...uh...give me something. Tell me something."  
"Uh, I, uh...K-Kyo, I, uh, I-I-I can't." Yohio stammered out flusteredly, feeling his face heat up.  
Kyo sighed seeing his was making him uncomfortable.  
"All right. I'm sorry for pressuring you. I won't make a big deal out of it. I guess I just wanted to know if it had anything to do with me." Kyo's brown eyes widened.

"...Did I just say that aloud?"

"Yeah, you did. Um...I really can't tell you Ky...I want to, but..." He looked down in shame, his golden blond locks (which was more flaxen in cloudy weather) framing his pale face. Kyo leaned forward to brush his locks aside, and awkwardly reached over to tilt his chin up a little.  
As their eyes met, they looked down, both feeling their cheeks reddening.  
'My god...I can't believe I'm actually doing this.' The tall brunet thought before speaking.  
"It's ok. Really. The only reason I asked was because I thought that...you may have heard some of the...um...rumors." Kyo said gently.  
"Rumors...uh, to be honest...I-I-I HAVE heard some things about you. About your lifestyle and your past choices." Kyo froze a little hearing this. He backed away from

Yohio to walk forwards a few feet.  
"Kyo? Kyo? Wait up!" The Swedish boy shouted, following after him.  
"I-I-I-I didn't mean anything...I don't believe them or anything! It's all just talk I'm sure-" But he was interrupted by something backing him against a brick wall.  
He looked up in shock to see Kyo looking at him darkly.  
"..." Hio wasn't sure what to say now. Did he upset him? Should he have felt afraid? He didn't feel it though...

After a moment, Kyo backed off with a tired sigh.  
"I'm not sure if I believe you...do you really think that there isn't SOME truth to them? Because...sorry to burst your bubble, but someone would have said something eventually, so it might as well be me. I..." Kyo paused, turning away from the blond.

"I...have made some choices I regret. I guess that's putting it mildly. I hung out with people I knew were not real friends, but just "good-time buddies". Wil, my best friend, knows this too, as he followed and follows a similar lifestyle. Just people to have fun with, but they weren't real friendships. We both knew this. I suppose..."fun" can mean many things. But...I might as well come clean. I...knew this would be a problem the second I hit it off with you. Because...I didn't want you to find out anything. But it's not easy to hide the truth. People like to talk...I guess that is my problem. My fault...so I've been avoiding my classes to avoid everyone I know. It's been getting harder and harder...I never meant to become a so-called "trouble-maker" or develop a bad rep! I-I-I...was just...experimenting I guess...and then I suffered a nasty after effect after the things I ended up regretting. I never meant to hurt anyone! They call me things like "man whore" and "heartbreaker", but I never went after the innocent! I may have flirted a LITTLE. But the people I got involved with were thinking the same things as I was. That it was just a one-time thing that would not last, where there were no hard feelings or commitment of any kind. But...I got bored with all this too late. I wanted to get away from those people, but...as long as I'm in school, that's not going to happen! I never meant to be sucked into this "popular persona."He sighed, resting his head against the brick wall in shame.

After a still and silent moment, Hio walked over to him, and nervously decided to comfort the brunet. He slipped his arms around his waist, and rested his cheek against his back lightly, his heart speeding up as he did so.  
"...You...You don't think there is an escape...have you ever told anyone? Like your brother or your friend Wil?" Kyo, who hadn't yet realized that the other male was so close to him, shook his head. "Not really...I've complained a little, I guess to say I've dropped some hints...but not directly. I haven't directly spoken about it. They barely know why I've been skipping. My brother confronted me today, but I couldn't tell him right out. They both know something is up...but I just can't..."  
He turned around and glanced curiously at the shorter male who still had his arms latched around his waist. Ignoring the weird feeling he was getting inside him, he slowly returned it. They held each other in a slightly awkward, but mainly comforting way for a few more moments.  
'I'm definitely not normal...and neither is he...you don't see people who just met comforting each other so openly like this...it's kind of a shame.' Kyo thought as he listened to his pounding heart.

After a few more seconds had passed, they separated, gazing at each other with a mutual smile towards the other, their cheeks both flushed.  
"So..." Kyo began, his heart still pounding rapidly.  
"I believe you. Really! You seem genuine. I can understand why you would try to hide such things from me. I wouldn't want someone I just met to know certain things about me either if I was in your place. I'd probably haved lied as well...I'm glad you trusted in me to spill all that info. Really...thanks." Hio said with a nod of appreciation.  
"W-wait...so...my choices in the past don't change anything?" Kyo questioned. Yohio shook his head immediately.  
"Nope! I'm grateful that the air has been cleared though. If you hadn't opened up, I would not have been able to explain what was on my mind."  
"Wow..."

Another brief period of silence fell over them.  
"Er...shouldn't we be going?" Kyo suggested.  
"Yeah, I suppose. Sorry!" Hio said sheepishly.  
"For what? I was the one who pushed you over here! I should be the one apologizing here! I violated your bubble of privacy!" Kyo protested.  
"Ok, ok. Apology accepted. Let's go." The blond replied, taking the brunet by the arm and leading him away.

...

"Incidently, did you hear the rumors specifically from anyone? Or just talk in the halls?" Kyo asked curiously as they approached the house that Yohio was supposed to be staying at.  
"Here and there, but I didn't think much of it until someone expressed concern and told me some things directly. I actually knocked the guy over and he lost his papers! I had to help him regather them, and that's how we got talking!" Hio said in embarassment.  
"Huh...I may have an idea...was this person a male with pink hair and a stack of history papers?" The Swed looked up in shock. "Yeah! How'd you know that Ky?"  
"It's Yuuma, I know him. Just a lucky guess perhaps." Kyo said, shrugging it off.

They were standing in front of the house.  
"Are you going to knock?" The tall brunet asked.  
"Yeah, in a sec. I guess they'll show me where my room is...when I was dropped off this morning...my stuff wasn't with me. I arrived from Sweden today...my things travelled separately. I wonder if I'll like it here?" He asked nervously.  
"One way to find out." Kyo said, deciding to knock for him.  
They stepped back and waited a few moments.

After a while, the door opened and a girl with long, wavy, dark chestnut hair and sapphire eyes greeted the two males. She looked Irish, Kyo noted.  
"Oh? You must be Yohio, the new Vocaloid, yes?"  
"Yeah, t-that's right..." Said vocaloid answered timidly. Kyo decided to comfort him by putting a hand gently on his shoulder.  
"Oh? And who are YOU? The boyfriend?" The female asked with a cheeky half-smile. Kyo was taken aback.  
"H-huh? W-w-w-what made you t-t-think t-that? I-I-I just m-met him today!" He stammered out in response. The brunette chuckled lightly, making both males blush.  
"I'm just kidding. I know who you are, Kyo right? Yuu's older brother."  
"I-yeah, how'd you know?" Kyo asked in slight surprise.  
"Your brother's always visiting here all the time you know. He's friends with Oliver. I guess he keeps him company since he's the only kid living here with the rest of us Engloids."  
"Ahh..." Was his response. 'Yuu's never said a word...' He thought sub-consciously.  
"Uh...and you are?" Yohio asked, speaking up once more.  
"Oh, let me properly introduce myself. I'm Avanna." She said, bowing a little. "Come on in! The both of you!" She added glancing at Kyo.

"H-how many of you are there?" Hio asked onced they had stepped inside the house.  
"Quite a few of us. But while it's a little snug, there is plenty of space for each one of us. I'll show you to your room." She invited.  
"Er, ok, sure. I'll be back in a second." Hio told Kyo before following Avanna up the spiraling staircase.  
Kyo started to wander around. This place sure seemed nicer than where he, Wil, and Yuu resided in. But then again, there were only three of them. They had a two story house all to themselves.  
He walked over to the front windows and gazed out of it. Huh. Looked like it had begun to rain. It was coming down pretty heavy too.  
'That's really weird...Yuu never mentions coming here...how odd. I mean, I know he goes out to see friends his own age, but not specifically here!'  
He thought; not that it really mattered of course. The more he stared at the rain, the more he dreaded the walk home.

...

"THIS is my room? Wow...it looks...wow." Yohio was speechless. The room tailored just the way he secretly imagined it would be. All silver and black, with pops of reds and purples and blues throughout the room.  
"Impressed?" Avanna asked, as she watched him explore his new space.  
"Yeah...very much so! Whoever did this did a great job! I can't believe I'm going to live here!" He said as he sat down on his new bed, noting that the shimmery fabric sparkled in the light from outside.  
"Glad you like it! The others can't wait to meet you, so I hope you will join us later tonight." Avanna suggested as she headed towards the door to exit.  
"Really? Um...well..." Hio trailed off. She poked her head back in the room. "Too soon? I understand. Nerves and all. I was the same when I came here after all. It's alright, take your time!" Before he could reply, the brunette was gone.  
'Huh...that was easy. At least I'll have one less thing to stress over.' He thought to himself, leaning back to lie on his new bed. He tucked his arms under his head, and stared up at the ceiling, which looked like a starry, swirly galaxy...

But instead of relaxing like his body was telling him to do, he recalled that Kyo was still there, and he got up (partially reluctantly) to return back downstairs.

As he descended down the stairs, he could hear some voices speaking in the living room.  
"...So what does he look like?" A short and colorful blond boy dressed in orange and pink was asking Kyo. Another blond boy of slightly shorter height who was dressed like a sailor stayed silent, but was equally curious.  
"How am I supposed to describe that to you? You'll see for yourselves." Kyo replied, almost curtly. The three of them were standing by the stairs.  
"Well, YOU'VE been around him all day. That's what Piko said anyways. And Len! I mean, everyone's been talking about you two at school." Hio froze hearing that again.

Maybe he did have reason to stress...as he was about to re-ascend up the stairs, he stepped on a very creaky floorboard on the steps, causing the three figures in the living room to glance up.  
"Hio, there you are! Come here!" Kyo invited, more warmly this time.  
He sighed, and realized they were just curious kids. The colorful blond who had been speaking must have been Kyo's brother Yuu...  
He re-descended down the steps, and met the other males at the bottom.

"Yohio, this is my younger brother Yuu...and this is his friend Oliver, who's one of the people who live here." Kyo said, introducing the two to Hio.  
"Hi! I finally get to see who my brother's been spending his day with!" Yuu said excitedly.  
"Hello there. Yeah...your brother has been really helpful to me today. I really appreciate all he's done for me so far." Hio said, shaking the younger male's hand.  
"Hmm...I'll bet you have..." Yuu muttered. Kyo shot a slight glare at his brother.  
"Oh, nothing!" Yuu said, brushing it off.

Hio turned to the other blond. "Hi there, Oliver right?" The boy with the one eye nodded. "Yep! Nice to meet you! I've been waiting to meet my new "older brother"." The golden blond boy said in excitement in his unmistakable British accent.  
"Hey, he's right. You do kinda look alike." Yuu said, studying the two of them.  
"Yuu, I hate to interrupt, but it's getting late, isn't it?" Kyo said gently.  
"WHAT? Are you crazy? The stormy weather's just confusing you big brother! I've stayed over here overnight some days! This place is like my second home!" Yuu said proudly. Oliver smiled hearing this.  
"Well he sure never told ME any of this info!" Kyo whispered to Hio, who giggled a little.  
"Hey, what're you doing there? Sharing an intimate secret with your boyfriend?" Yuu teased.  
Kyo sighed, turning his gaze away. "YUU...that is just ANOTHER rumor spread about me!" He said in exasperation, averting his gaze.  
"Let's go upstairs if you don't want to be bothered." Hio suggested. Kyo simply nodded, and followed him up the stairs.  
"Oh come on big bro! I know you better than this!" Yuu continued chattering.  
"ANOTHER TIME YUU." Kyo said more curtly and firmly, following the blond into his room.

Yohio closed the door behind them.  
"I'm so sorry about that." Kyo said with a sigh, leaning back onto his bed. "You don't mind right?" Hio shook his head.  
"That's ok. Kids will be kids." The Swedish boy replied, shrugging it off.  
"No, no! That's not the problem here!" Kyo said, exasperatedly. "The problem is this rumor that will continue to follow us whenever we set foot together in that school! And we only just met today! I keep thinking that because of my past, and all...and what people are saying, all that could destroy whatever chances we have of a friendship at all..." He sighed tiredly, gazing at the blond's ceiling. "You don't mind me lying here right?"

The Swed shook his head again. Yohio walked over to the bed, and lied next to the brunet, also turning his attention towards the ceiling.  
"I see...but...I wouldn't let it get in the way. Would you?" He asked, turning to Kyo, gazing at him squarely in the eyes, sending a shiver down the brunet's spine  
(he constantly seemed to have that effect on him).

"I...NO, of course not! But...I just worry that it will put a strain somehow on us."  
"Well...I won't let it! And I don't see any reason why us being friends should bother those people...although..." He trailed off.  
"Although what?" Kyo asked, turning towards him again.  
"Although...I wonder why people would think we were dating...though it's only been one day, your player past is responsible for that part of the rumor." Kyo winced a little. "Sorry..." Yohio apologized. "But what puzzles me is why they would think that you would be dating another guy...unless there is something that you are not telling me Ky?" He finished, turning his attention towards the taller brunet.  
Ky, feeling cornered, began to pathetically search for a way out of this. He didn't want to have to tell another truth.

"I, uh, well, um..." He stuttered lamely.

"You can be honest with me...have you ever, or currently, been interested in guys?" Yohio asked gently, looking at him directly, his ruby eyes meeting his eyes of dark amber, sending yet another shiver down his spine.  
Kyo, seeing that there was no way out of this one, breathed out heavily, and prepared himself for the truth. Averting his gaze, he replied.  
"Yeah. Plenty of times in fact. More-so than girls...In fact, I used to go out with my best friend Wil-"  
"The one you live with now?" He nodded simply, clearing uncomfortable.  
"But that one did not work out, not because it was a fling like the other ones, but because we just were not compatible. We were better off as friends, he was more attracted to females than males overall...Plus, adding that we lived under the same roof..." Kyo trailed off.  
"Ah...well..." Hio struggled to respond. He didn't want to make Ky uncomfortable; he had no intention of doing so!  
"...K-Ky...i-i-it's n-not as t-though there's anything wrong with that! I-I'm fine with it..." He murmured, hiding his blushing face from the brunet, by burying  
it in a pillow.

Right after he did so, he felt an arm slip around his shoulders gently, pulling him closer to the other male.  
"I do feel bad for telling yet another lie...so I apologize for that Hio." Kyo replied softly.  
"No...you had every right to keep whatever you wanted a secret. But...I admire the fact that you have the guts to come out and say all this. Even though I questioned your sexuality...you still did not have to answer me...that was your choice, after all!" Yohio responded, slowly lifting his head from the pillow.  
He turned his attention up to Kyo straight-on.  
"I wish I could offer you something about me...I mean, my story's not such a big deal really. It's just bullying-"  
"Like I said before, don't force yourself to tell me anything if you are not ready to. I can wait." Kyo interrupted.  
"..." Hio didn't respond.  
"...Ooook. I think I've made things awkward again, haven't I? All right, I'll change the subject." Kyo said with a sigh.  
"...Alright." Was his only reply. But the awkward air remained. Though there was no speaking, what both males were thinking were along the same lines.

'How is this going to turn out?'

...

A half an hour later, Kyo's cell phone rang. He picked it up instantly. "Hello?"  
"Ky, it's Yuu here! Wil just phoned me a few minutes ago. He said that your English teacher phoned our house, and wanted to speak to you. But, well, since you're here, and so am I, he phoned me to pass on the news."  
"Er, ok, um...what news Yuu?" Kyo questioned, getting up off the bed to reply. He began pacing around the room.  
"Who's that?" Hio asked curiously. "Yuu." Kyo mouthed.  
"Your teach says that she's not suspending you for a week. She was able to talk to Master, and she's arranged time for you to be in the school's library for the rest of this week. She says that you really deserve MORE time, since you're so behind in schoolwork, it's crazy Ky! I'm surprised that this wasn't an issue sooner!" Kyo sighed hearing this.  
"Yeah, yeah. I know...that's great news honestly! I actually suggested that idea, but didn't think she could help me out. I guess I've been too harsh about her being "against me" after all. Did she say anything else?"  
"Yeah. She said to pick up your work from your academic classes at the front office tomorrow morning. She's compiled all the work you need to catch up on. Good luck there!" Yuu said, the smirk evident in his voice.  
"Yeah...heheh...Is that all?"  
"Nope. One last thing. She has suggested that your friend could accompany you. She said that he seemed rather shy and out of place since she got to speak to him a little this morning, so she is willing to do what she can to make his time at school less intimidating. Plus, she also said that you seem to go well together."

"WHAT?!" Kyo shouted in shock, covering his mouth too late. Yohio glanced up, startled.  
"Nothing." Kyo mouthed in response.  
"She did NOT say that! You're making that up Yuu!"  
"No, I'm not bro! I'm sure she didn't mean it THAT way...but I'll bet you do...come on Ky! Did you really think I couldn't tell that you're interested in this guy? Too bad you have your past following you." His younger brother replied.  
"Yeah, yeah. I know Yuu. How can I not?" Kyo said in defeat.  
"Yeah...that's all I phoned to tell you about."  
"Ok, tha-wait. If we're in the same house right now...why did you phone me?"  
"Well...since you were upstairs behind closed doors, I didn't want to interrupt anything Ky." Yuu teased.  
"Rrright. I'm hanging up now." Kyo said, turning his phone off.

"Everything alright?" Yohio asked, hanging his feet off the edge of his bed, resting them on the floor.  
"Yep, yep. I just found out that I won't be suspended like I thought I'd be."  
"Yeah, I overheard that." Kyo's jaw dropped. "Y-you did?"  
"Sure, you guys were talking loud enough after all." Hio said nonchalantly, crossing his legs.  
"Uh huh...well, instead of that plan, she's going with my suggestion. She was able to get me some time for the rest of the week in the library, where I would hide out in anyways. Unfortunately, I've got a huge pile of work to catch up on, it sounds like."  
"Ah...that's great. You won't have to be suspended...or return right away to your classes that you have been avoiding." Yohio said brightly.  
"Yeah...and that's not all. You, my friend, can benefit from all this as well." Kyo said, walking over to sit beside him.

"Huh? How?"

"Kiyomi said that you can be included on this as well, since she doesn't think we would cause any trouble together."  
"Wow...really? That's awesome! What would I have to do?" Hio asked.  
"I guess accompany me to the office tomorrow and see if there's any work for you to do. I know I'm gonna be drowning in it..." Kyo said sighing. He leaned back onto the Swedish boy's bed. Said boy laughed lightly, joining him.  
"What time is it Ky?" The brown-haired male checked his phone.  
"Huh...it's getting late. I should be going actually. I don't know about Yuu; he may be staying here."  
"Oh...I guess time just flew huh?" The blond stated. The brunet nodded.  
"Yes, it sure did. The whole day did. Well, except when I was in detention, of course. Then, it felt like the whole universe was frozen in time!" He joked.  
"Pretty boring huh?" Hio asked.  
"Definitely, definitely." Kyo said, getting up to leave. "I guess I'll go now. I'll see if Yuu is staying or going. I'll leave you to settle in." He said as he opened the door.  
"Oh, ok. But I'll see you off first. I can deal with this later." Yohio said, following him out the door.

...

"Yuu? Where are you?"  
"In the kitchen Ky!" Yuu called, dashing out a few seconds later. "I was just about to sit down to dinner, what is it?" He asked, pouting childishly.  
"Oh sorry...I guess you're staying behind huh?" The younger blond nodded rapidly.  
"Ok, that's all I wanted to know. I'll be going then."  
"In the rain?"  
"It stopped raining a while ago; I'll be fine. I guess you'll be going to school with Oliver tomorrow then?"  
"Yeah, I know the drill. See ya big brother!" Yuu said perkily, about to run back into the kitchen. He turned to Hio. "You know, we live like around the corner from you, barely five minutes! You'll see us again, especially me since I like live here half of the time!" He joked, dashing off.  
"Well...I guess I'll be off then. See you tomorrow Hio." Kyo said, opening the door.  
"Oh...ok then. Bye Ky." Yohio said, shifting his feet a little.  
"Yeah. Um...I know! Since we live so close apparently, why don't I meet you here, and we walk to school tomorrow? I can be here around...8:30?"  
"S-sure...ok. See you then." Hio said, shutting the door after him. Kyo let out a deep breath, and started to walk home.

'Well, at least it stopped raining...' He thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Second half. May or may not be hinted Yuu/Oliver and (definitely) Kiyoteru/Yuuma in the (distant) background. I know not where this is going. **

*The Next Morning*

Kyo opened his eyes, awoken by the sunlight streaming through his blinds. He sat up and rubbed his eyes a little tiredly. Was it already morning? He didn't feel quite as well-rested as usual, probably due to the fact that he had been dreaming all night...the fact that a certain blond was in them didn't help things whatsoever...  
He had been tired after leaving Hio's house the previous day, and had practically crashed on the couch when he arrived home. Wil wasn't being helpful badgering him as soon as he walked through the door with accusing questions like "Where the hell were you today at school? You were skipping again right?" and "Would you just tell me already WHY KY?" Things like that. But Kyo had somehow gotten past those questions, and spent the rest of the day in his room.  
He was sure Wil would try to pry some answers out of him again this morning, though he had given up yesterday after a few tries, he was a stubborn mule, and was not discouraged easily.  
'How am I supposed to get out of this? I can't sneak out without him seeing me. The guy gets up at like 6!' Kyo thought as he combed his long locks in his bathroom. He brought his washcloth up to his face, and rubbed his eyes a bit. He sure wasn't looking forward to the events that would lie ahead for him...glancing up at the clock on the wall, he could see that he had gotten up late yet again. But since he had no alarm clock to go on (besides his internal clock), that wasn't a surprise.

After he had gotten dressed in his usual attired of a black tank top, leather slightly baggy black jeans, with a long black leather trenchcoat, studded with "hardware", he grabbed his cell phone from off his dresser, along with some bills, and headed down the stairs. His clothes may have sounded "tough" but he never got into fights. Quite the contrary. He prefered to keep to himself.  
Shutting his bedroom door, he slowly crept towards the stairs. As if he could get past Wil. That guy was so tuned into everything; literally!  
"Hey, you're leaving already? Why the hurry? It's not as though you have any reason to go." There, standing at the foot of the stairs was Wil, with his arms crossed across his chest. Kyo stopped in his tracks. What now?  
"Wil, step aside. I'm already late, and you know that. I know you're looking for answers, and I will tell you and Yuu, but not now!" The brunet replied, continuing down the stairs until he was face-to-face with the nosy, dark-skinned man.  
They locked eyes for a few moments of silence.  
Finally, Wil stepped aside, and let Kyo pass without another word.  
"Fine, go. But I'll be expecting an answer from you later on!" He called out to the brunet just as he was about to step out the door.  
Kyo just nodded to show that he heard before shutting the door behind him.

He glanced up at the sky as he stretched his arms over his head. He could feel the sun's rays warm his skin and not scorch. He was glad it wasn't raining at the moment.  
After taking a moment to gather himself, he slowly started in the direction of the house that Yohio was evidently residing in, not really in any hurry having just left Wil and his suspicious nature behind...  
Within a few minutes, he was standing outside the house where the Engloids lived in. Taking in a deep breath, he rang the doorbell once.  
Kyo stepped back and ran a hand through his messy, smooth brown locks, and waited. A few moments later, the door flung open, and to his surprise, he was greeted by his younger brother.  
"Hiya Ky! Here to pick up your boyfriend?" The perky blond teased, still dressed in his pajamas. Kyo had forgotten his brother had stayed over; he was still processing that info, and the comment didn't quite register immediately.  
"Uh...yeah. Yeah...is he awake?" He responded slowly.  
"Ky? You ok? I don't think you heard me!" The younger blond asked, bouncing up and down a little on his feet to wake him up.  
"Hmmm? Well, if it was meant to poke fun at me, it's not important."  
"Mmmhm...Ok, sure. I'll go check for you. But I'm gonna tell him that you were the one to say that!" Yuu said, sticking his tongue out as he dashed towards the steps, leaving the door wide open.  
"-Huh?! Said what Yuu!? Hey! Come back here!" Kyo protested, shutting the door behind him, then following the mischievious blond up the stairs.  
"...Yuu, I SWEAR if you say anything to him, I'll-"  
"-Say what to who?" A tired voice spoke up from behind Kyo; he turned around in slight-dread, only to see...Avanna?  
The brunette was also still dressed in her sleepwear, and was running a golden brush through her hair tiredly.  
"Oh, um...nothing, nothing. My brother was just being silly..." Kyo replied sheepishly.  
"Uh huh...aren't you supposed to be at school right now?" The Irish female asked.  
"Uh, yeah...but I made plans to meet up with Yohio this morning. And couldn't I ask you the same thing?" The tall brunet asked curiously. "How come you look like you just rolled out of bed? Or rather...you should return to it?" He added with a slight smirk, his cocky "sense of humor" returning.  
"Perhaps, perhaps. But I have my reasons. I'm not a troublemaker like you are rumored to be." She replied, with a mysterious half-smile as she headed down the stairs, with one hand stretched out gracefully on the banister as she went.  
'Huh...she's a strange one.' Kyo remarked to himself, half-wondering what happened to Yuu. Little did he what his brother was doing at the moment...

*In Yohio's room, behind closed doors*

"Come on! I KNOW you're lying!"  
"But it's only been one day! This is only the second day; it's not right! I-I-I need more time!"  
"Why? So what you just met him? This could be just...uh..one of those weird moments that are supposed to happen in cheesy movies, but sometimes are known to happen in real life!?"  
"...I'm wasting my time. I don't even KNOW the guy that well! It's bad enough that his little brother knows...please don't bring it up anymore! I just want to get over it! Now, if you don't mind, I need to be leaving for school now. Shouldn't you be going as well?"  
"I AM ready, for your information! And I'll clam up...FOR NOW." Yuu finished with a (slightly evil?) grin as he strutted like a rooster towards the door of Yohio's room, opening it and slipping out wordlessly. But just after Yohio turned his back, he popped his head back into the room to add one last thing.  
"How do you know it's a waste of time? Give it some more time, but stay positive! Ya NEVER knowwww!" He said in a sing-songy tone, before disappearing again, giggling all the way.  
Once left alone once more, the blond shook his head to clear it. He couldn't believe what had just taken place...  
'How did he do that? I-I-I don't even remember opening my mouth to speak to the kid! How did he get that info out of me?!' Hio thought, his mind filling with thoughts again. He sat on his bed, and let out a deep sigh. He hoped the boy wouldn't say anything to his brother...how embarassing that would be if so!  
A knock on his door jolted him back to reality.  
"Hio? It's Ky...we're gonna be late! Are you ready?"  
"Yeah...yeah. One second!" The Swed called back, getting up slowly to stretch. After a moment of stillness, he walked over to his door, and opened it to greet the brunet on the other side, who seemed surprised when he did so.  
Kyo had been gazing down the halls, staring at his feet partially, so he was startled by the sound of the door opening so swiftly. What he was greeted with caused a chemical reaction inside him (though he wasn't quite sure WHERE it started).  
Though they were not outside, they were inside the house, Kyo could just imagine make-believe rays of sunlight (or moonlight perhaps) shining down on the blond male before him, and he recalled the previous day when they had first met that moment. While his brain was picturing this, his eyes also noticed that the blond wasn't wearing his long silver coat, which only added to that glow he had. What Kyo DID notice was that Yohio was wearing a similar outfit to yesterday, a silky (lighter gray this time) top that clung to his slender figure. Without the jacket, he could clearly see that the shirt fell from his lean, slender shoulders on both sides, exposing them.  
His hair looked just as it did the other day, yet effortless somehow. Like he had just rollen out of bed like that! Kyo, sub-consciously, ran a hand through his suddenly messy medium length brown locks.  
'Damn...it's like I'm seeing what I was seeing last night in real life too! Sigh...he really does look like an angel or something...' He thought, in a trance.  
Only to be pulled out of it by being prodded in the chest slightly.  
"Hey, sorry to interrupt your daydreaming Ky, since you seem to be quite content where you are!" Hio's voice said, bursting into his thoughts.  
"Ummm...sure, ok. Sorry. Uh...I-I guess we should be going now, b-but-aren't you forgetting something Hio?" Kyo said, finally finding his voice.  
"Hm?" The blond asked, getting caught off guard, tilting his head a little. Kyo smiled seeing this.  
"Y-your c-c-coat? Um...a-aren't you going to w-w-wear it?" Kyo stammered nervously.  
"Huh? Oh that...why Kyo? Am I bothering you or something?" Yohio asked as he shut his bedroom door, and started to head towards the stairs.  
"Wh-wha-wha-huh? W-w-why would you say that? I-it's not as though I c-care either way, b-but-" Kyo glanced away in embarassment. Things sure weren't going his way after all...  
He heard steps approaching him, but didn't glance up. "Ummm...I-I was just kidding now. I-I-I hope I didn't upset you or anything Kyo..."  
The Swedish boy, who had climbed the stairs to stand near Kyo, said nervously. He glanced at his feet, and shifted them as he did so.  
"...No, no...it's cool. I've...just not "with it" this morning, I guess, to put this mildly." Kyo said, somehow finding his voice again.  
"Bad night?"  
"Yeah, to put it simply. It's not you, it's just me. But that's no surprise!" The brown-haired male said, scoffing at himself, slowly turning to face the shorter blond.  
The other male smiled faintly. "Ah...ok."  
They stood facing each other, but averting their gazes in silence for a moment.  
"Hey! What are you doing? You're gonna be late!" A voice shouted, startling the two males. Turning back to the stairs, they saw Yuu and Oliver standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up towards them.  
"I-I-I guess we should get going, huh?" Hio said quietly.  
Ky nodded wordlessly. "Right, right...Hey Yuu! Are you really going out like that?" 'Looks like he's wearing what he slept in out...' Kyo thought as he said this.  
Said boy made a face at his older brother. "Heck yeah! I always dress like an effing rainbow bro! Man, you really need to pay attention more..." Yuu muttered, shaking his head. Oliver laughed at this reaction.  
"Uh huh...right, ok then. Yeah, we're coming. No need to wait for us!" Kyo said, and didn't make a move towards the stairs.  
"Oh nooo big brother! We don't mind, right Ollie?" Yuu said with a grin, elbowing the British blond boy beside him.  
"Er...rrright, right." Oliver replied.  
'What's he planning? What is that kid up to?' Kyo thought in slight annoyance.  
"No, no, go right on ahead! I INSIST." Kyo responded, gritting his teeth slightly.  
Yuu just gazed at his brother for a second before spinning around and heading towards the front door, pulling Oliver along with him.  
"Whew...thank god...sorry about that. My brother's weird sometimes." The brunet said slightly sheepish to Yohio, who had remained silent the whole time.  
"No, it's okay...I can tell." The blond muttered barely audibly.  
"Oh really? Hahaha...yeah. He's not exactly subtle about what he thinks."  
"Mhm...I guess we should be going now. We're probably late huh?"  
"With our luck...though it's just routine for me." Kyo said sighing as they headed down the stairs, and towards the door, Hio grabbing his coat on the way out.

...

"So...um...never mind."  
"No, what?"  
"It's nothing really."  
Kyo glanced up in mild surprise towards the Swedish male.  
"It's my brother's presense, isn't it?" He said as he leaned closer to the blond to whisper.  
"...Yeah, I guess. I just won't say anything. It's fine."  
"...Ok."  
They trailed behind the cheery blonds who were talking excitedly a few feet ahead of them.  
Yuu wasn't being too secret about what he was thinking.  
"I think they're pretty cute, don't you Ollie?" Yuu giggled to his one-eyed companion, who merely shrugged in response.  
"Meh, sure. I guess. But...it's not like they're a couple, ok?"  
"Heeheehee! Not YET you mean, my friend!"  
Oliver narrowed his eye at Yuu. "...You've got a plan, don't you?"  
"Heheheh...guilty as charged! But we've gotta keep this on the down low, alrighty?" Yuu said as he skipped ahead.  
"...But I'm not the one who's always talking here." Oliver said in protest, sighing as he tried to catch up to the hyper blond, leaving Kyo and Yohio a few meters behind.  
"Oh good...now they're a good distance ahead of us. Er...what were you saying before Hio?"  
"Hm? Um, I don't remember. It wasn't important I guess." Hio shrugged it off.  
"Uh huh...hey...are you ok? You seem a little...off. I mean somehow. You alright?" Kyo questioned, turning to study the blond's reaction.  
"H-huh? Y-yeah...I'm ok...it's just...something kinda odd happened this morning. Just before we left. But it doesn't matter." He replied, trying to shrug it off.  
"What? Wait, no! If something's on your mind, please tell me! I mean...only if you want to." Kyo added hurriedly, trying not to show too much concern. He didn't want to look suspicious after all.  
"Mmmm...eh, what the hell. It was your brother actually...he just...no, forget it! I'm fine..." Yohio said quickly, hurrying a few feet ahead of Kyo, clearing trying to get away from him.  
"H-huh? What just happened?" Kyo wondered aloud before noticing that he was now alone.  
"Uh...h-hey! Wait for me guys!" He hollered, dashing after the three males long ahead of him.

...

After arriving (quite late as the halls were completely empty), Oliver and Yuu went their separate ways, though Yuu kept shooting them pointed glances all the way.  
Kyo groaned. Looks like his brother had something on his mind...that most likely had to do with him.  
"What now Ky?" Hio asked, turning to him.  
"Well...I guess we should get our books from my locker first. Though it might take a few minutes for me to find mine unfortunately." The tall brown-haired male sighed, not looking forward to digging to barely-used books.  
"Ok." He replied as they headed in the direction of his locker.

...

"Oh crap...where do I begin?" Kyo complained after he flung his locker door open.  
"Well...you'll just have to start with one pile and work your way around." Yohio suggested poking his head over Kyo's shoulder. He pulled his schoolbooks closer to him.  
"Alright...am I doing this alone?"  
"No..." Hio sighed, setting his books on the floor.  
Kyo got down on his knees, and decided to start on the bottom level of the skinny, but deep metal closet.  
"What is all this stuff Ky? Garbage?" Hio asked from beside him.  
"No...well, sort of. I guess it's all the old schoolwork I never did. Eventually, they all kind of got shoved together into a big pile of crumbled up papers." Kyo said sheepishly.  
"Heh."  
After five minutes, Kyo was able to find 4 of his 8 textbooks.  
"I have no idea where the other four are. I swear they don't seem to be in here...but whatever. I've got what I've got. Let's go.  
I've made us even later than before." The tall brunet said sighing once more, slamming and locking his locker. Hio picked his books up off the floor, and followed after Kyo.

Once they got to the office, Kyo rang the bell on the front desk. Yohio walked toward the waiting area and sat down.  
"Late as usual Mr. Kizami." The secretary said, turning in her seat to face the brown-haired male.  
"I know...is Ms. Hiyama here?"  
"She got tired of waiting. She left the work for you and your friend to pick up. She also said that she will be checking in on you later today, just so you know."  
The woman said as she handed Kyo a huge stack of schoolwork.  
"Uh...is this all for me?"  
"Yep."  
"Ah..."  
"Um...what about me?" Hio piped up timidly from behind Kyo.  
"Right here, I think." The brunet replied, pulling another pile of papers kept together with a paper clip. Kyo's, on the other hand, had a giant binder clip keeping his papers together. He handed them to the blond.  
"Oh, thanks." He bowed a little to the grumpy secretary before exiting the office. Kyo swiftly hurried after him, not wanting to left alone.

...

"So, are we going to be here the whole day?" Hio asked as they entered the library. "I suppose so. At least it's always quiet here. Hardly anyone comes in here."  
Ky responded, walking towards the back of the room to a vacant table.  
As soon as they had settled down, Kyo reached up to his face to pop something out of his eye. Hio watched him curiously.  
"Uh...what are you doing Ky?" He gasped in surprise when the brown-haired male glanced up at him, his previously brown eye now a shimmering sapphire, making the Swedish boy's heart speed up. Why did he hide them?  
"I, um...I-I'm just taking my contacts out." Kyo replied, averting his gaze, as he reached under his bangs to remove the other contact. Yohio continued to watch him.  
"I can't work with these things in."  
"Ah...do you always wear contacts?"  
"Sometimes...it's partially for looks, and partially because I need them when doing schoolwork." Kyo replied, taking the cap off his pen and messing with some papers in front of him.  
"Huh..." The Swed grew quiet as they began to work. He decided not to bother him about that...

*5 minutes later*

"You can't work, can you?" Kyo (surprisingly) asked, not glancing up from his work.  
"H-huh? W-what makes you say that?" Hio asked, nervously tapping the table with his pencil.  
"Well, you must not be able to focus, since you keep staring at me!" He replied with a laugh.  
Yohio felt his face heat up. "I-I-I-I, um...well, h-how do I know YOU'RE really working over there Ky?" He asked, turning the tables away from him.  
Kyo glanced up to face him. "I..well, I'm trying here! It's not easy-"  
"Considering you haven't worked in a long time." Yohio interrupted with a smirk.  
This time, Kyo's face heated up. "...I-I'm getting back to work now. B-but before I do...um...WHY were you looking at me? I mean, there must have been something else in here worth staring at, r-right?" Kyo asked as he turned back towards his work.  
The blond's face burned up once more. 'Sigh...he's so nosy sometimes...what do I say?'  
"Hm? Why, does it bother you?"  
"Well, it is a bit distracting to be honest." The brunet replied as he wrote on a scratch piece of paper, testing his pen.  
"...Oh ok. I'll try to get some work done then."

...

Somehow, they made it to mid-day without barely any communication. The only interuption they got was not from Kiyomi, but Yuu, who popped in to ultimately tease his older brother for a few minutes, causing said male some embarassment.  
Hio was blanking out when he noticed that his conpanion was putting his stuff away.  
"Oh, um...are you leaving?" He nodded.  
"Yeah, I'm going to go out for lunch break, but I'm leaving my things here. Like anyone's gonna try to steal my work, they'd be pretty disappointed if they were looking for work to cheat off of!" He joked (though partially serious).  
He stood up to stretch. "Are you going to take a break? You should...it's not good to stay in one place too long."  
Yohio leaned back in his chair. "I guess...are you going to the same cafe again like the other day?"  
"Yep, is that cool with you?"  
"Sure, sure. I guess I could get some fresh air. I'll join you. I guess I'll leave my stuff here too. After all, you said that barely anyone comes in here." Hio said as he stood up as well.  
"Yeah, I did." Kyo said as they walked towards the exit.  
But on the way out, they bumped into a familiar face. At least to Hio.

'Crash!'

"Oh no, not again!"  
"I'm so sorry, I said I'd be more careful!" Hio said after crashing into a familiar pinkette.  
"No, no, this time, it's my fault. I wasn't looking AT ALL where I was going. I figured since hardly anyone came in here, I'd be safe, but no! I'm fine, I can ge tthem myself." Yuuma said when Yohio offered to pick up his work for him.  
"Yeah, that's what I figured. This place is sadly kind of dead. What are you doing in here anyways? It's break-time, isn't it?"  
"Yeah, but I prefer spending time in here where it is quiet. Besides, I'm meeting someone here anyways. I could ask YOU the same thing." He said as he stood up, glancing at Kyo with a curious, not accusing, look.  
"We have arrangements to work in here for the rest of the week evidently. I wasn't going to be a part of it, but somehow, I got roped in." Yohio shrugged with a smile. Yuuma raised an eyebrow at this.  
"Wait...are you meeting the person you mentioned the other day?" The pink-haired male's cheeks heated up immediately.  
"M-m-maybe! What's it to you?" He asked, sounding more accusing this time.  
"Nothing! Just asking!"  
"Uh huh...I guess you're heading out then?"  
"Yeah, I guess I'll see you around here, huh?" Hio guessed.  
"Yep, totally! See you! Bye Yohio!" He said sounding more friendly. With a nod to Kyo before walking into the library.  
"Huh. That guy doesn't seem to like me." Kyo stated as they left the building, heading for the nearest exit.  
"Oh, so you noticed that too?" Hio asked as he walked beside him.  
"Well yeah. It wasn't like he was trying to conceal it very well." The tall brunet said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
"Right...I'm sure he's just not sure if he can trust you. He's probably heard the rumors."  
"Oh? And how do you figure that?"  
"Uh...b-because he TOLD me when I ran into him the other day?"  
"Oh, you mean literally?" Kyo said, smirking a little. The blond turned away, his blond hair hiding his blushing cheeks.  
"Yeah...he actually showed concern over the fact that I was associating with you."  
Kyo stopped in his tracks. "Serious? Man, he must take the gossip literally! I mean, ok. I made a few bad choices and wrong turns in the past, you know that. I'm NOT trying to deny that I did the things I did. I try to own up to them. But, he's acting like I'm a criminal or something! I need to set the record straight damn it! Argh...sorry. I'm going on a rant now. I can't help it. I can pick up on negative vibes though. I just know when someone doesn't like me!" He said with a annoyed sigh as he started up again.  
"...I know Kyo. Of course I know. But you can't expect someone else who doesn't know things from your side to understand. Give him a chance, and maybe he'll do the same thing in return." Yohio suggested.  
"Yeah, we'll see."  
They walked in semi-awkward silence.

...

"You're not mad at me right?" They were now outside, approaching the gates of the school.  
"What? NO...of course not. Why would you think I was mad at YOU? If anything, I've made things awkward."  
"Well, I'm kinda acquaintances with the guy. If we become friends, and he holds something against you, you won't be mad at me right?"  
"Hell no! I'm not telling you who you can befriend or what you can and can't do! Don't be silly." Kyo said, shaking his head.  
"What, like you?"  
"How?"  
"I don't know." The blond shrugged it off.  
They kept walking when suddenly Kyo stopped once again in his tracks. But Yohio didn't run into him this time.  
"What is it Ky?"  
"Over there." His face paled a little. Hio looked up. He saw a group of Vocaloids rapidly heading their way, though they didn't seem to notice them.  
"Old friends of yours?"  
"If you can even call them that. I'm sorry, but I think we should turn around. I'd rather not face them right now. I-I'm not ready." Kyo admitted, feeling ashamed.  
Hio put a hand up on the taller male's shoulder. "It's ok. I understand. Isn't there another way to get to the place?"  
"Perhaps."  
Just as they were about to turn away, one of the Vocaloids called out to them. "Guys, check that out? Isn't that Kyo with that new kid?"  
"Oh crap. Just GREAT." Ky muttered under his breath in mild anger.  
He didn't turn around even though he could hear the crowd approaching him. "I'm not in the mood guys! Not today."  
"Why? We only want to talk to you for a minute!" A tall blond girl dressed in a skimpy black outfit whined a little.  
"Yeah, come on man. We won't take up too much of you and your boyfriend's time." A tall, muscular brunet with dark hair who looked suspiciously similar to Yohio's math teacher added.

Kyo stopped in his tracks, and slowly turned around.  
"Listen to me. First of all, he's not my boyfriend. He is JUST a friend, understand? Second, I would really rather just be left alone right now."  
"But we haven't seen you in weeks! You don't turn up for the classes we share." The black and white themed female known as Mew shot back.  
"And I have my reasons! Look, I know you're not really concerned with what I've been up to, you just want to know the latest gossip. Well, I'm debunking the rumors! Yohio and I are not dating. I've only known him for two day for god's sake!"  
"Well, I wouldn't put it past you. You've had quite a colorful history and we all know that." A shorter female with fiery red locks tied up in a ponytail said from beside the blond girl.  
"Yeah...are you aware of this guy's past? I mean, you don't look like our kind of person." Another female similar to the redhead, but with a green ponytail piped up, addressing Yohio.  
Hio took in a deep breath before replying.  
"Yes, I am aware. I've only known him for two days, but I'm pretty sure he's not trouble like everyone seems to make him sound like. And I'm probably not your "type of person", nor do I WANT to be. But...you know...I think you should just leave him alone. It's what he would prefer."  
"And how do you know that?" Mew questioned in accusation.  
"Because he told me. He's been avoiding his classes to get away from you lot!" Hio said, narrowing his ruby eyes.  
"WHAT? Why...what have we ever done to him? What did we do?" The blond girl complained again.  
"Nothing guys! It's nothing. I...look...I don't want to talk about this...but I guess you deserve an answer." Kyo said from beside the blond.  
"Damn right. You can't just drop a bomb like that, and walk away!" The fit brown-haired male replied.  
"Fine. The truth is...I don't want to associate with you guys any more." All of them gasped.  
"What? Are you crazy? You'd give up everything you had with us for...whatever that is?" The blond girl cried up, pointing at the Swed.  
"I guess to you guys I am crazy! But this isn't what I want. I didn't have much of anything with you lot. I have so much more with him than you guys ever gave me. You people were never friends. I knew it. You knew it. We were just fucked in the head kids just having a "good time" together." The females gasped again.

All of them were silent for a moment.  
"...So. That's it then? You're just going to walk away from everything?" The greenette asked.  
"Yeah. That's my choice." Kyo said, lowering his gaze.  
"Well, I think that you're making a stupid mistake. I mean, you had everything! We went everywhere and did everything!" The blonde girl piped up once more.  
"And everyone too." Hio whispered to Ky who smirked a little in response.  
"Oh!? And what's your little boyfriend telling you?" The tall brunet opposite Kyo asked with a laugh.  
"For the last time, we are merely friends. Which is more than I can say for you guys."  
"Ugh, whatever! You're making a huge mistake, throwing all this away! Anyone else in this school would kill to be in the position you were in."  
"And the positions I've been in as well? Ha...I doubt that. I don't think everyone is that narrow-minded. I think there are people who value real friendship and relationships over artificial ones. We may all be man-made, but the difference is that your feelings and mine are not the same. Mine are real, and yours are fake and plastic. Like your hearts." Kyo with slight contempt, taking the moment to walk past them, pulling Hio along with him.  
"We won't forget this Kyo! You think you can just walk away from us and go to the other side like that? You're still the same person! You'll always be like us! You haven't changed! And you can't. You're a player and a swinger like we are. You aren't meant to "love". That's too boring and limiting a lifestyle for us!" Mew called out after him angrily.

Kyo and Hio walkd in even moreso-than-before awkwardness towards the cafe.  
"Hio...I'm so sorry for what happened back there. Those guys...they aren't just heartbreakers, they're pure poison. They're just as bad as criminals to me. And to think I was one of them." Kyo said with a long sigh.  
"It's ok...I think I made them more upset when I said something. I shouldn't have done that. Those were your words to say, not mine. I'm sorry for that."  
The Swedish male apologized.  
"It's fine. I just want to unwind and relax now."

Within another minute, they were outside the the cafe.  
Kyo pulled out a seat for Yohio, and was about to walk into the cafe when he was pulled back by Hio.  
"Wait, don't go in yet. I need to say something."  
"Um...ok, sure. I'm listening." Ky said as he turned around to face him.  
Before he said another word, the blond threw his arms around the brunet, wrapping his arms around his waist tightly.  
"Don't listen to them. You're NOT like them. From what I just witnessed, you guys are from different worlds completely. I'm not sure what and who you used to be, but I think you are rapidly moving towards change. At least I think so. Those jerks...where do they get off saying things like that? Why can't they just let you go freely?"

Kyo, who had been frozen for a moment, slowly moved his arms around the slender blond's waist and pulled him closer to him. He found that he was resting his head against him slightly.  
"Thank you Hio. I really appreciate this. I'm glad someone believes in me. I wish they could just live and let live, but they won't forget. I've been with them too long...I guess it's because we had personal ties, and were pretty tight, at least in their eyes, and maybe I felt like that was true for some time as well. But I haven't felt that in a long, long time. Until I met you, that is." He admitted with a blush. He was glad that the shorter blond couldn't see that.  
"Heh...yeah. I see what you mean. I guess we both kind of felt lost where we were, surrounded by many people, but felt out of place. Maybe I was meant to meet you...I don't know if I believe in fate though. Considering we were all made, and not born. But..." The blond trailed off.  
"But what?" Ky asked, pulling away a little to meet the gaze of the Swedish boy's.  
"...One thing that really upset me is that they said you aren't meant, or capable of loving. What the hell does that mean? Isn't there supposed to be someone out there for everyone? I mean, I'm no expert on the subject, but...I think that's a load of garbage just like everything else they said. If we had hung around, who knows what else they might have said?" Yohio said with a sigh, turning his gaze ground-wards.  
"Yeah...that did sting a little. I think you're right. Thanks for sticking with me. I didn't expect that much. I figured that when you learned the truth about me, you would have ran for the hills." Kyo joked in relief.  
"Well, I still have time to get away from you if I really wanted to, I've only known you a day and a half now!" Hio said with a giggle, to Ky's shock.  
"...Heehee...but I won't, most likely. I don't see any reason to."  
"Good...I figured that if it wasn't my past, the annoying rumors of us being a couple might get in the way. I'm sure it will only gain strength from here, especially after that exchange. Those guys will make sure of that." Kyo sighed, shaking his head.  
Hio leaned in closer to him, meeting his sapphire (he would have to get used to that) eyes with his ruby ones. Kyo's heartbeat sped up.  
"That's nothing. I mean it. Now, let's get something to eat before it's time to return to school."  
Kyo pulled away, the moment now over. "R-right. Same thing as last time?"  
"I think I'll accompany you this time. I want to meet this sweet-sounding granny you are acquainted with." The blond said, walking alongside of Ky.  
"Ok, but I'm warning you. She has a bark!"  
"Well, as long as she doesn't bite, I think I'm safe. Besides, you'll protect me, won't you Ky?" He asked sweetly, causing Kyo's face to redden.  
"Uh..." Was all he could respond with as Hio giggled.

"Hello? Suzume? It's me!" Kyo called as they walked into the darkly lit cafe. Sure enough, as if on cue, the small elderly woman entered the room from the back.  
"Hello Kyo. I see you brought your friend along again. What will it be today boys?" She asked.  
"Um...let me see now. Wow...you keep adding new items, don't you?" Kyo said, gazing up at the giant blackboard above him.  
"Um...excuse me ma'am. But...do you work here alone?" She shook his head.  
"Not entirely, young man. My husband used to assist me until he passed away. My children and grandchildren sometimes pop in to help me. So, I'm not completely on my own. But for the most part, I'm a one-woman show here!" She said with a hearty laugh.  
"Ah.."  
After a few minutes, they settled on a few different items they could bring back to the school.  
"Thank you so much boys. Always appreciate the support." Suzume said cheerfully as she packed up their items.  
"Anytime Suzume. Thank you, as always. See you again."  
"Work hard Kyo. Don't slack off anymore." Kyo felt his face redden for the countless time.  
"Yeah, yeah. I know...sheesh." He muttered in embarassment slightly as they walked towards the door. Hio giggled in response.  
"Let's get back now." Kyo said as they left. "Are we allowed to have food in the library?" Yohio asked.  
"I think so. I mean, as long as we don't make a mess like some slobs might. Nobody notices if you sneak in really. They don't care. That place is like a wasteland sometimes." Kyo replied casually.  
Hio just shrugged and followed after him.

...

Walking back (and avoiding the looks people were giving them), they headed back towards the library.  
"Huh. Looks like we are back a little early." Ky's blond companion stated.  
"Yeah, lucky us." Kyo responsed dryly with sarcasm.  
"I tell you, it's not going to be any easier for me now to avoid those guys now. But at least I'm free. If only I didn't have to return to my normal classes next week. I really wish there is an alternative..." Kyo groaned as they approached the library.  
Upon entering the library (and getting past the librarian, who wasn't even paying attention), they snuck their food over to their table in the back and settled down again.  
A few moments later, Hio poke Kyo to get his attention and they turned their attention towards the same sight.  
"Hey...isn't that Yuuma?"  
"Yeah...I guess he's still here. But who's that with him?"  
"Hmm...I think that's my history teacher actually. He comes here all the time...I guess he's getting a private session with him." Ky smirked a little upon saying that.  
"KYO! That sounds wrong! Somehow..." Hio said in mock shock, punching him lightly.  
"Oh, you really hurt me there Hio." Kyo said in fake-hurt. He smiled though to show him that he was kidding.  
"So...um...are the rumors concerning him true?" Yohio asked as they observed the pinkette enthusiatically listening to his Sensei.  
"You mean...is he dating his teacher? I have no idea...you'd have to ask him yourself. But from what I see...he seems more excited than the average student."  
"Yeah...he acted quite embarassed earlier, didn't he? And when I first met him, and he admitted that there had been rumors about him, I got the same vibe."  
"Huh...well, to each their own. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, I don't think. I'm not one to judge. I've been with guys before after all."  
"Uh huh. Hey, whoa! Look at that!"  
"Shhh...not so loud!"  
"Sorry, but seriously, look! Did he just grab his hand?"  
"Yeah, he did! Well, I guess that answers your question. And mine! Not that there's anything wrong with that!" Kyo said as they observed the flustered pinkette trying to pay attention to his schoolwork in front of him as the brunet on the other side of him took his hand in his.  
"Yeah, yeah." Yohio responded, not completely paying attention. He was partially wishing he and Kyo were in their place...


End file.
